KCB Group Chief Financial Officer Lawrence Kimathi (left) with Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods’ niece, during the Pro-Am round today.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Ladies European Tour rookie player Esther Henseleit from Germany announced her intent to end the 2019 LET season in style when she returned an individual two-under par score at the Pro-Am that preceded the Magical Kenya Ladies Open presented by M-Pesa. Henseleit opened her round with eight straight pars and a lone birdie on the par-4 ninth for one-under par score of 35 on the opening nine. On the back nine Henseleit posted six pars, two birdies on the par-5 11th and par-5 16th and a lone bogey on the tough par-3 12th for a score of one-under par 35 on the back nine and a total of two-under par 70 for the round.

Henseleit, who is playing her first full LET season, has performed well, finishing second at the Ladies European Thailand Championship in June 2019 and second again at the Estrella Dam Mediterranean Ladies Open in September 2019. She is currently second on the LET Order of Merit behind Marianne Skarpnord of Norway.

Skarpnord opened her round with seven straight pars before sinking two birdies on the par-3 eighth and par-4 ninth for a two-under par opening nine of 34. On the back nine, she got off to a shaky start, posting double bogey on the downhill par-4 10th, she quickly found her rhythm and scored five pars, birdie on the par-4 16th and two pars to close the back nine on one-over gross and a total round score of one-under par.

Linda Wessberg, Sweden, Stacy Lee Bregmann of South Africa and Lynn Carlsson finished on level par whilst Astrid Vayson de Pradenne, France, Amy Boulden, Wales, Florenyna Parker, England, Lakareber Abe, USA, Isabelle Boineau, France and Cheyenne Woods all finished at one-over par 73.

Abe had a mixed round during the Pro-Am, scoring one bogey and two birdies on the opening nine and three bogeys and one birdie on the back nine for a total score of one-over par 73. Speaking to the press after her round, Abe said she was pleased with her game. “The golf course is in great shape and I am happy with the way I am playing,” she said. “I think the key this week will be keeping the ball in play, avoiding trouble off the tee box and managing the game around the greens.”

In the Pro-Am team competition Pro Diksha Dagar from India, playing with Ken Mwige, Charles Gichobi and Vedick Wafula returned a score of minus-26 to emerge the overall team winners. The team of Esther Henseleit, Germany, playing with Sheena Round-Turner, Pauline Gichihi and Anis Popat finished second with minus-23 beating the team of Cheyenne Woods, Martha Vincent, Jean Ngengi and Lawrence Kimathi on countback.

Speaking after her round, Woods said she is enjoying being in Kenya, “The course is very nice to play …and it’s beautiful. Everyone has been so welcoming and the weather is warm. It’s been a great trip so far. This is my seventh year playing professionally and I’ve now started my career on the Ladies European Tour.”

Talking about Kenya’s aspiring athletes, she said “What I would say to young Kenyans and girls in general is to have specific goals written down and in mind and a path of how to achieve them.”

Her playing partner, KCB Group Chief Financial Officer Lawrence Kimathi said that the bank was committed to supporting sports development. “As a bank we support sports across the board, from golf to chess, football, volleyball, rugby and athletics,” he said. “This commitment is anchored on our vision to give back to the community and grow talent across East Africa and beyond.”

The main event tees off tomorrow.

Ladies European Tour 2019. Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open, Golf Club de Terramar, Sitges, Spain. 26-29 September 2019. Meghan MacLaren of England during the second round. Credit: Tristan Jones

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The Magical Kenya Ladies Open Pro-Am tournament, to be held tomorrow at the par-72 PGA Baobab course at Vipingo Ridge and presented by M-Pesa, has attracted an impressive field of 120 golfers setting the stage for a grand opening to the tournament.

Astrid Vayson De Pradenne from France will get the Pro-Am underway when she leads her team of Patrick Obath, Terry Obath and Francis Okwara off the first tee at 7:45am; while Spain’s Noemi Jimenez Martin will lead the team of Zawadi Safari, Susan Stokes and Christine Ocktoch off the tee at the tenth at the same time.

Ladies European Tour Order of Merit current leader, and four-time Ladies European Tour winner, Marianne Skarpnord from Norway, will lead her team of Dominic Makau, Solomon Angutsa and Wilfred Achilla off the tee at the first at 8:55am at the first; while runner-up in the Order of Merit, Esther Henseleit from Germany, gets underway at 8:05am at the tenth tee in the company of Pauline Gachihi, Sheena Round-Turner and Anis Popat.

Meanwhile, two-time Ladies European Tour champion, 25-year-old Meghan MacLaren from England, will lead her team of Kerry Venturini, Eunice Koome and Margret Thande off the tee at 9:15am at the first.

Tiger Woods’ niece, Cheyenne Woods, will tee off at the first in the company of Martha Vincent, Jean Ngengi and Lawrence Kimathi as she embarks on the challenge to seal her maiden LET event victory in Vipingo. Three-time LET champion, 21-year-old Aditi Ashok from India (who won her first LET event at 18), tees off at the 10^th tee at 7:55am alongside Alysa Jamal, Elizabeth Kimkung and Hanif Walli.

Three African players, Maha Haddioui from Morocco, Georgia Oboh from Nigeria and Stacy Lee Bregmann from South Africa, have been selected to feature in the Pro-Am. Haddioui will lead her team of Sarah Hoare, Phyllis Kimbo and Liz Gitobu off the tee at the 10^th at 8:45am while Oboh leads her team of Mary Wambui, Alice Wahome and Naomi Wamboi off the 10^th tee at 9:15am. Lee Bregmann will tee off at 9:25am Gladys Mutisya, Haresh Bhatia and Cheryl Rautenbach.

The Pro-Am tournament will culminate in a golf clinic for 26 junior golfers who will be coached by four LET players. The 26 junior golfers will be divided into two groups of 20 and six, and will be taken through golf basics on chipping and putting.

The junior golfers will be coached by four-time LET winner, Linda Wessberg from Sweden, two-time LET winner Meghan MacLaren, two-time LET winner, Felicity Johnson and Nigerian Georgia Oboh.

The Magical Kenya Ladies Open is sponsored by Magical Kenya, M-Pesa, Capital FM, KCB, Aquamist, East African Breweries, Turkish Airlines, Vipingo Development, KPA and Wilken.