•MKO Tournament director Patrick Obath believes this year’s event will steal the show as it joins the Global Swing of the revamped DP World Tour with an increase of prize money from US$ 2 million to 2.5 million.
• “Our 2024 season will see our members come together to compete across a global schedule with greater opportunities and rewards than ever before.”—Keith Pelley, the DP World Tour’s chief executive
Image: FILE
DP World Tour’s Magical Kenya Open (MKO) is finally here with several improvements that will treat stakeholders and enthusiasts to some innovative activities within and beyond sport.
This year marks the fifth year of the DP World Tour, previously known as the European Tour. The iconic MKO was upgraded from the second-tier European Challenge Tour status in 2019.
Compared to last season’s event, the 2024 edition may feel rather scintillating given what has transpired over the last 12 months.
MKO Tournament director Patrick Obath believes this year’s event will steal the show as it joins the Global Swing of the revamped DP World Tour with an increase of prize money from US$ 2 million to 2.5 million.
“This year we shall have 144 entries —a relatively reduced field from the initial 150-plus. With the help of the DP World Tour, we have an additional US$500,000 for the prize purse making it $2.5m.”
“This means the quality of the field is going to be better and we are going to get a higher number of viewers globally, by and large,” he said.
This year’s tournament has attracted some of the big names on the tour including Eduardo Molinar, the winner of the 2007 MKO. Also in the mix is the 2021 winner from South African Justin Harding.
Molinar is listed in Category 10 — which is a preserve of players who finished within positions 1-116 in the final 2023 Race to Dubai ranking.
Also listed in this category are Frenchman Julien Brun of Albatross Golf Resort, Scottish pro-Connor Syme attached to Drumoig Golf Centre, Nacho Elvira of Spain, Englishman Marcus Armitage (Howley Hall GC) his compatriot Matthew Jordan (Royal Liverpool GC) and Indian star Shubhankar Sharma (Chandigarh GC) among others.
Image: FILE
Unfinished Business
In 2022, Sharma birdied three of his last four holes to grab a one-shot lead halfway through the Kenya Open. A birdie-birdie finish earned him a 4-under-par 67 and a 10-under total at altitude at Muthaiga Club, where he has unfinished business.
Sharma turned professional in 2013 and played on the Asian Development Tour in 2014. He also finished fourth in the Panasonic Open India, a 2014 Asian Tour event.
In December 2017, Sharma recorded his first tour win in the Jo’burg Open and followed this with a second win at the Maybank Championship in February 2018.
This year, a tournament for disabled golfers will for the first time in Africa be a part of the European Tour’s eight-leg G4D Tour — slated to run from February 19-20. The G4D event will curtain-raise for the main draw, set for February 22–25 at the Muthaiga.
The G4D Tour unveiled its eight-tournament 2023/24 schedule last year, with a revamped format that introduces both Gross and Net tournaments, to accommodate golfers with various disabilities.
Image: FILE
MKO’s disability event will count as the third leg of the G4D Tour, which will also feature at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in the UAE, Woburn Golf Club in Buckinghamshire, England and the Betfred British Masters in Sutton Coldfield, England.
Obath said: “To broaden the sport and cater to groups with special needs, Kenya will, for the first time in the history of African golf — host an inclusive tournament that will have a Golf for Disabled showcase the special opportunities available.”
“We have disabled professional golfers, who rarely play formally. The objective of hosting the event is to show people with different disabilities that they can play sports at the highest level.”
The 2024 MKO will also feature a ‘Business Forum’ where various corporate stakeholders will be invited to discuss business matters.
“The 20,000 acres of golf space is projected to inject a whooping Sh4.5bn into the Kenyan economy from hotel occupancy to those who will be engaged during the tournament. MKO offers an opportunity for corporate entities, therefore it would not make sense for them to just enjoy golf and not take advantage to discuss matters of business. We have never convened the corporates in a forum and this will be another first for the MKO,” Obath said.
Image: HANDOUT
Series Changes
With a minimum of 44 tournaments in 24 countries, the DP World Tour schedule for 2024 has been spread across five continents, underlining its status as golf’s global Tour.
Dubbed the 2024 ‘Race to Dubai’, the event will feature three new and distinct phases — five innovative ‘Global Swings’ where the Magical Kenya Open has been slotted from November 2023 to August 2024; historic ‘Back 9’ from September 2024 to October 2024 and two ‘DP World Tour Play-offs’ in November 2024.
Keith Pelley, the DP World Tour’s chief executive, explained the changes. “Our 2024 season will see our members come together to compete across a global schedule with greater opportunities and rewards than ever before.”
Pelley continued: “The many new and original enhancements we have introduced will guarantee drama and excitement for our fans, our broadcasters and all our stakeholders across the entire season. This means that every week counts on the DP World Tour.”
The ‘Global Swings’-
Phase one will comprise five individual ‘Swings’ thus Opening, international, Asian, European and the Closing — and will run from November 2023 to August 2024. Each swing will have its rankings.
Each swing will have its own identity and its own Champion who will each earn $200,000 from an overall $ 1 million Bonus Pool. Swing champions will also qualify for each of the ‘Back 9’ events.
After the Global Swings phase, a further $ 1 million Bonus Pool will then be shared amongst the leading ten players on the Race to Dubai. These are individuals who have played a minimum of eight ‘regular’ Global Swings events outside the Major Championships and co-sanctioned Genesis Scottish Open.
Phase Two-The ‘Back Nine’
This phase will encompass nine of the DP World Tour’s most historic tournaments and national Opens and will run from August 2024 to October 2024.
It will begin with the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo (August 29 – September 1, 2024) and will end with a tournament to be confirmed from October 24-27, 2024. In addition to exempt DP World Tour members, the leading 15 non-members from the top 70 on the FedEx Cup will be eligible to play in these events and qualify for the DP World Tour Championship.
Image: FILE
Phase Three – The DP World Tour Playoffs
This phase, running in November 2024, will comprise the two final Rolex Series events of the season—the Abu Dhabi Championship and the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
The Abu Dhabi Championship, which moves from its traditional January slot to a new date of November 7-10, will feature the leading 70 players on the ‘Race to Dubai’ rankings while the top 50 at the end of that tournament, qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai from November 14-17, where the DP World Tour’s Number One player will be crowned.
After the DP World Tour’s 2024 season, the leading 10 players will share a $ 6 million Bonus Pool.
Finally, at the end of the current 2023 season, the top 10 DP World Tour members on the final 2024 Race to Dubai rankings (not otherwise exempt) will earn PGA Tour cards for the 2025 season.