Aaron Rai is among five past winners invited for the Magical Kenya Open 2021.
The European Tour event will be held at Karen County Club from March 18 to 21 and will precede the new Kenya Savannah Classic from slated for March 23-26 at the same venue.
Joining Rai in the list of past winners are Swede star Sebastian Soderberg (2016), Haydn Porteous of South Africa (2015) as well as Italian duo Lorenzo Gagli (2018) and Guido Migliozzi (2019).
Rai, who has Kenyan roots, joined the Challenge Tour after coming through the Euro-Pro Tour in 2016, securing his first victory the following season at the Barclays Kenya Open 2017. That win had a special significance as his Kenya-born mother saw him triumph in her first visit to her home country in 47 years. Rai also lifted the 2017 title on what was Mothering Sunday in the UK.
Another champion to watch is Soderberg, who has become a regular visitor in Kenya since his memorable win in 2016. Soderberg earned his first European Tour win in thrilling fashion, defeating Rory McIlroy, Kalle Samooja, Lorenzo Gagli and Andres Romero in a five-way play-off to win the 2019 Omega European Masters.
But Soderberg’s breakthrough win came at the 2016 Kenya Open, the same year the Swede qualified for the U.S. Open at Oakmont and came through Qualifying School to earn a debut season on the European Tour in 2017. Like Soderberg, Haydn Porteous of South Africa has had a penchant for golfing in Kenya, where he sealed a maiden Challenge Tour title as a sponsor’s invite at the 2015 Barclays Kenya Open, beating his compatriot and friend Brandon Stone in a play-off. Stone will also be in action in Kenya.
Another interesting invite is Shubhankar Sharma of India, who took part in the 2019 event in Karen. He became the youngest Indian to win on the European Tour when he racked up the Jo’burg Open title in December 2017 as a 21-year-old.
Tournament director, Patrick Obath, said the two European Tour events will each feature 156 players. All pros have had to qualify through the Safari Tour Golf Series. “Out of the 156, six will be amateurs, 12 Kenyan pros and three from the African region,” said Obath.
