Renato Paratore from the Castelgandolfo Golf Club, at the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Pro-Am tournament in Karen. Renato led his team to victory.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Italy’s Renato Paratore from the Castelgandolfo Golf Club, led his team to victory at the 2019 Magical Kenya Open PRO-AM tournament that was held at the Karen Country Club on Wedensday. His team returned a combined score of 92 to carry the day.

His team’s efforts were enough to fend off the challenge posed by the team led by France’s Clément Sordet which returned a combined score of 88 on the day, to finish second. Their tally was just enough to leave a two-point lead ahead of the team led by South Africa’s Haydn Porteous, which included the Kenya Open Golf Limited chairman Peter Kanyago, which returned a total of 86, to finish third.

Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort’s Justus Madoya was the best placed Kenyan, leading his team which included Kenya Golf Union’s Vice chairman Anthony Murage for a combined score of 83, to place them 10th. They were tied on points, and separated on count back, with the teams led by Uganda’s Philip Kasozi, the 2016 Kenya Open winner Sebastian Soderberg and the 2018/19 Safari Tour winner Greg Snow, whose team finished in 13th place.

The tournament, which attracted a field of over 126 golfers, was played under the course layout that will be played during the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship, giving the pros an opportunity to acclimatize to the course ahead of the tournament tomorrow.

Attention now shifts to the main tournament, which gets underway tomorrow at 7:20am with 144 players including 14 Kenya Pros, and six elite amateurs, taking to the course. Tickets for the tournament can be purchased via the website www.kenyaopen.golf.

South Koren Pro Golfer, Ho-Sung Choi (left) with Muthaiga Golf Club’s Greg Snow at the Karen Country Club today ahead of their practice round today.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The Railways Golf Club’s pro golfer, Alfred Nandwa, and Nyanza Golf Club’s, David Odhiambo, have secured spots to play at the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship presented by Absa, following the drop-out of some earlier entries.

The two Kenyans join 12 others who had already qualified top play at this year’s Kenya Open, and were picked to play at the tournament based on their 2018/19 Safari Tour Golf Series ranking.

Odhiambo and Nandwa finished 12^th and 13^th on the 2018/19 Safari Tour Golf Series with 43.5 and 43 points respectively. Nandwa best finish in the Tour came at the Nyali leg where he amassed 14 points, while Odhimabo’s best Safari Tour outing was at the Muthaiga Leg of the Tour where he amassed 12.5 points. Nandwa made history at the Tour for being the only player to hole out in one at the Par-3, 16^th at the Limuru Golf Club leg.

The European Tour and the Kenya Open Golf Limited have an arrangement whereby if a player drops out or is a no show, the slots are divided out among the next available European Tour or Kenyan pro golfers. With only a few days remaining to the event, chances of additional Kenyans getting playing slots at the tournament increase since they would be the nearest available replacements for any foreign entry players.

Meanwhile, Muthaiga Golf Club’s Greg Snow today partnered with South Korean internet sensation, Ho-Sung Choi, for a practice round at the Karen Country Club ahead of the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship. Greg is currently the highest-ranked Kenyan Pro, based on his 2018/19 Safari Tour Golf Series finish, while the South Korean is making his Kenya Open debut.

Star players such as Thomas Bjorn, from Denmark, and Shubhankar Sharma, from India, are already in the country ahead of the tournament.

The 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship tees off at the Karen Country Club on Thursday the 14^th of March and will be preceded by PRO-AM tournament on Wednesday the 13^th. Tickets for the tournament can be purchased via the website www.kenyaopen.golf.