MKLO defending champion Esther Henseleit celebrates after retaining her championship during last year’s event.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Two-time Magical Kenya Ladies Open winner Esther Henseleit of the Hamburger Golf club, Germany, will be looking to make it three wins on the trot as she leads a strong field of 96 players, confirmed for the 2023 edition at the PGA Baobab Course at Vipingo Ridge on 2-5 February 2023.

The 24-year-old German will be joined by Marta Sanz Barrio of Spain, Linnea Strom of Sweden and Sophie Hausmann of Germany, who finished in the top five positions last year.

Defending champion Esther Henseleit spoke of her return: “I’m looking forward to returning to Kenya and defending my title. It’s a special place for me because it’s where I won my first professional tournament and I’ve always found there’s a great atmosphere with many friendly faces. A great way to start the season!”

The Magical Kenya Ladies Open will have a prize fund of €300,000, and will be the first in a series of 39 events on the Ladies European Tour 2023 calendar – the most fixtures ever held on the Tour. Spectators will be encouraged to attend the 4-day event and cheer on the professional players.

The field will also feature five Kenyan golfers, led by Naomi Wafula and Mercy Nyanchama who will be playing in their third tournament, Nancy Wairimu will be making her second appearance at Vipingo with Chanelle Wangari and Jacqueline Walter making their debuts.

The action is set to kick off on Wednesday 1st February with a Pro-Am tournament, before the field of 96 takes on the Vipingo Ridge course over four rounds, to crown the winner on Sunday 5th February.

Spectators can purchase tickets to the four-day tournament through the online platform www.ticketsasa.com which are retailing for Ksh 500 per day.

Acting Chief Financial Services Officer Safaricom PLC Boniface Mungania (far
left) presents a dummy cheque of Sh 26.8 million to support the 2023 Magical
Kenya Ladies Open golf tournament to Dirk Glittenberg of U.com Chairman, Vice Chairman Kenya Golf Union Philip Ochola and Vipingo Ridge chairman Alastair Cavenagh.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Safaricom’s mobile money service, M-PESA, has announced a Sh 26.8 million sponsorship for the third edition of the Magical Kenya Ladies Golf Open. The Magical Kenya Ladies Open remains the only event of its kind and the highest-ranked professional ladies’ tournament across the continent providing a unique opportunity for the development of upcoming female golfers in the region.

The tournament will be the first in a series of 39 golf events on the Ladies European Tour 2023 calendar. The event is set to take place from February 2 to 5 at Vipingo Ridge, Baobab Course in Kilifi County, with 96 players from across the world expected to take to the course in a 72-stroke competition.

“We are delighted to sponsor the Magical Kenya Ladies Open yet again, for the third year in a row. This sponsorship highlights our strong commitment to supporting sports in the country and promoting Kenya as a premier sporting and tourist destination. The Ladies European Tour provides our young Kenyan lady golfers with an opportunity to learn and grow in the sport, which is in line with our goal of supporting talent through the spirit of Tuinuane,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom.

Safaricom will further sponsor all participating Kenyan players providing both additional financial support and kitting. As part of its ambition to develop talent, Safaricom will also fully sponsor four female junior golfers drawn from last year’s Safaricom Golf Tour who will be participating in the Pro-Am tournament on February 1. 100 junior golfers are also set to benefit from a full-day clinic with coaching from the professional golfers.

The Kenyan team will be led by Vipingo Ridge’s PGA Academy star Naomi Wafula, VetLab’s Mercy Nyanchama and 16-year-old Chanelle Wangari, and Golf Park’s Nancy Wairimu. The quartet will take the course under the amateur category.

Among international golfers scheduled to participate in the tournament is defending champion, German lady professional Esther Henseleit who is back hoping to retain her Magical Kenya Ladies Open title for the third time. However, Henseleit is expected to face stiff competition from Marta Sanz Barrio of Spain and Linnea Strom of Sweden who finished second and third respectively in last year’s competition. There is a €300,000 cash prize for the winner.

The tournament is part of the Ladies European Tour, organised by U.COM Event. It will be preceded by the Pro-Am tournament set for February 1 at the same golf facility.

“It is a great honour for us to be hosting the European Ladies Tour for the third year. This is a spectacular global event that we feel proud about and preparations are in top gear. I want to thank Safaricom through M-PESA  for their great support. They have walked with us throughout the journey since we first held our first regional tournament in 2019,” said Dirk Glittenberg, CEO, U.COM Event.

Safaricom has been the key sponsor of the event since 2019 when the tournament was first held in the country and the East African region. Last year, in the second edition, the telco offered sponsorship of SSh. 20 million.

Vipingo Ridge, Baobab Course in Kilifi County is a par 72 and an 18-hole Championship Golf Course. So far it is the only (UK) PGA-accredited golf course in Africa.

Since its formation in 1978, the Ladies European Tour has crowned more than 250 winners, with 700 championship trophies won by players from over 30 countries