Nine local golfers will benefit from the Sh2.7 million sponsorship package courtesy of Absa Bank Kenya for this year’s edition of the Magical Kenya Open.
Kenyan professional golfers Mike Kisia, Simon Ngige, Daniel Nduva, Justus Madoya, Dismas Indiza, Mutahi Kibugu, Samuel Njoroge, and Greg Snow have been enlisted for the sponsorship.
Also to benefit from the sponsorship will be Njoroge Kibugu, a rising amateur star whose outstanding performance last year set the ground for the eagerly anticipated competition.
Yusuf Omari, Interim managing director of Absa Bank Kenya stated that the sponsorship will boost the golfers' participation in the competition and motivate them as well.
Speaking during the presentation ceremony, Omari said: “We expect this year’s tournament to be competitive and as a brand, we are standing alongside our local pros who have done well in the past by making it to the final entry list."
“We understand these players have huge ambitions coming into the tournament, and as a bank that believes in bringing possibilities to life, our investment will ensure they have everything they need to effectively compete against world-class golfers."
The managing director highlighted that the tournament's resonance with the bank's brand ethos of Africanacity served as the reason behind the sponsorship.
All eight professionals will receive Sh300, 000 to help them foot some of their expenses including registration and caddie fees.
Those who make the final top 10 will receive Sh1 million while those who will make the top 20 cut will receive Sh500, 000 each.
Throughout the length of the competition, Absa will also provide the players with branded kits and golf balls.
Speaking on behalf of the pros, Daniel Nduva thanked Absa for its continued support over the years and urged Kenyans to support them as they gear up for the competition.
“ We are grateful to Absa Bank for this invaluable support and promise to make the country proud in this tournament,” he said.
With an estimated price purse of Sh254 million, 156 golfers from all over the world, including eight Kenyan Professionals, six Kenyan Amateurs, and two regional players, will compete in the 2023 edition.
Ashun Wu, the defending champion from 2022, Spaniard Adrián Otaegui, Richie Ramsay, from Scotland, and Justin Harding, the winner from South Africa in 2021, are among the foreign golfers slated to compete in this year's competition.
