Inci Mehmet, England, tees off the 1st hole during a past event.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The 2019 Magical Kenya Ladies Open, a Ladies European Tour event sponsored by Magical Kenya and Safaricom’s M-Pesa, will offer a total prize fund of Sh 33.7 million (Euros 300,000) with the overall winner taking home Sh 5 million (Euros 45,000).

Announcing the prize purse, event promoter U.COM’s Dirk Glittenberg said that the purse was globally competitive. “This is the first time a Ladies European Tour event is being held in Kenya and we are delighted that we have received the necessary support to enable us to host this event and offer a globally acceptable and attractive prize purse. Professional golfers choose which tournaments to play in based on a variety of factors – course condition, hospitality is important, convenience of getting to the venue, the overall experience expected and naturally the prize purse plays a big part in that decision-making process.”

The Euros300,000 prize fund for the Magical Kenya Ladies Open positions the event as one of the richest on the Ladies European Tour. The Investec South Africa Women’s Open, played in Cape Town, offers a prize fund of US$135,600 (Sh13.6m) and the Lalla Meryem Cup, played at the Royal Dar Es Salam Blue Course in Morocco, offers a prize fund of Euros450,000 (Sh50.5m). The prize fund at the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open in Abu Dhabi is US$300,000 and at the Jordan Mixed Open, it is US$393,000.

“There are 17 events on the Ladies European Tour calendar, excluding the Majors, eight of those offer a smaller prize purse than the Magical Kenya Ladies Open, four offer more and another four offer the same prize fund of Euros300,000,” Glittenberg added. “We however understand that these professional golfers will also be driven to this beautiful country by factors over and above the prize purse and we know they will have a great time in Kenya. They can visit the beautiful beaches and game parks, enjoy the coastal cuisine and take away with them an experience of a lifetime.”

The Magical Kenya Ladies Open takes place from the 5^th to the 8^th December 2019 on the PGA Baobab Course at Vipingo Ridge.

Sujan Shah in action at a past Safari Tour event.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Sigona Golf Club’s Sujan Shah capitalized on a slump by Dismas Indiza to go top of the leader board at the Lake Victoria Serena Open after round three. Shah shot a round of 70 to take his total for the tournament to 3-under par 213; one shot ahead of the nearest challenger after 54 holes.

He started his round with a near-perfect first nine effort, carding a total of 34 courtesy of birdies at the par-3, seventh, the par-5, eighth and the par-4 ninth; with his only dropped shot of the round coming at the par-4 third. On the back nine he had a bogey-free run; holding par on all holes for a back nine total of 36. With his performance, he equaled his opening round’s score of the tournament.

Professional Golfers of Kenya captain, C J Wangai, also from Sigona- stormed to second place after he posted a round of 69 (the lowest score of the day) to take his total for the tourney to 2-under par 214. On the first nine, he carded a total of 34 courtesy of birdies at the par-4, first, par-4 sixth and the par-5, eighth. He however holed a bogey at the par-4 third. On the back nine, he carded a total of 35 courtesy of birdies at the par-5 13^th and the par-5 17^th; with his only dropped shot at the back nine coming at the par-3 15^th.

Johnnie-Walker-Sponsored Dismas Indiza and Vet Lab’s Edwin Mudanyi (who finished first and second yesterday) had a day to forget having posted rounds of 76 and 77 respectively to finish the day tied in third with 1-under par 215 scores; two shots off the lead. Indiza had a disappointing first nine, carding a total of 39 courtesy of bogeys at the sixth, eighth and ninth holes – and having managed par in the rest of the holes. On the back nine, he dropped two shots at the par-5 13^th and followed it up with a bogey at the par-4 14^th before holing his only birdie of the round at the par-5 17^th for a back nine total of 38.

It was however another strong performance by the Kenyans at the tournament with eight of the top ten players after round three all being Kenyans. Erick Ooko and Greg Snow both ended the third round tied at 1-over par 217 in 5^th while Mathew Wahome and Tony Omuli were joint eighth alongside Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi and Uganda’s Ronald Rugumayo at 3-over par 219.

The final round of the tournament tees off tomorrow at 12pm.