Kenya’s team of Golf Pros and Elite Amateurs unveiled at the Nairobi National Park.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife has today unveiled the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship Kenyan professional and elite amateur golf players.

This year’s Kenya Open Golf Championship will have a field of 156 players made up of professionals and amateurs drawn from across the world.

Kenya will be represented by 18 golf players at this year’s tournament; 12 professional golfers and 6 elite amateur golfers.

The pros unveiled at a colourful ceremony at the Nairobi National Park were Greg Snow of Muthaiga Golf Club, Dismas Indiza of Mumias Sugar Golf Club, David Opati of Windsor Golf and Country Club, Rizwan Charania of Windsor Golf and Country Club, David Wakhu and Tony Omuli of Golf Park Golf Club, C.J. Wangai of Sigona Golf Club, Nelson Simwa of Vet Lab Sports Club, Simon Ngige of Thika Golf Club, Erick Ooko of Royal Nairobi Golf Club, Justus Madoya of Great Rift Valley Golf Resort and Philip Kasozi of Uganda Golf Club.

The elite amateur golfers who were unveiled were Daniel Nduva of Nyali Golf and Country Club, Samuel Njoroge of Railway Golf Club, Mutahi Kibugu of Muthaiga Golf Club, Edwin Mudanyi of Vet Lab Sports Club, Mike Kisia also of Vet Lab Sports Club and Bradley Mogire of Emirates Golf Club.

Speaking during the unveiling ceremony, the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Hon. Najib Balala said: “As a Ministry, we are proud to unveil the Kenyan Pros and elite amateurs that will represent Kenya at the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship which is set to provide exposure to Kenya as a preferred golf tourism destination both on the local and international scene.”

The Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary hailed the prominent role that sports has played in raising Kenya’s global profile as a destination, citing the exploits of individuals such as Eliud Kipchoge who broke the world marathon record at the 2018 Berlin Marathon as a major boost to Kenya’s recognition on the world map.

CS Balala said: “We are committed to leveraging on sports in order to create a stronger brand association between our sports personalities and Kenya as a destination. This is why we are intent on supporting our champions in the fields of athletics, rugby and golf to market Kenya as the preferred sports destination.”

Mumias based Pro golfer, Dismas Indiza, the winner of the Karen leg of the Safari Tour.

The CS further said that through the Government of Kenya’s KSh. 250 million sponsorship support, the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship will prominently position Kenya as a destination to a global audience through live TV broadcasting opportunities that will be availed through the tournament’s new status as a European Tour tournament.

“The Magical Kenya brand will receive wide visibility through live coverage by the European Tour (ET) Production Team that will be transmitted to over 490 million homesin more than 150 countries, generating in excess of 2200 global broadcast hours for each event. The live feed will be available to 40 broadcasters around the worldincluding Sky Sports in the UK and The Golf Channel in the U.S.  DSTV’s SuperSport are the official broadcasters in Africa.”

The Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary added: “Additionally, Kenya’s golf tourism offering will be on show to golfers and golf fans across the world through the European Tour TV (ETTV), a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week online golf channel that is available in every territory across the entire planet – reaching fans beyond the regular broadcast footprint. This level of exposure is critical to Kenya’s tourism success especially viewed in light of the fact that the global golf travel market is between 6 and 9.1 million travelers. The U.S. – Kenya’s number one tourist source market – has the highest number of golf travelers at between 3.7 and 5.6 million travelers.”

Also speaking at the event, Kenya Open Golf Limited Chairman, Mr. Peter Kanyago said: “We are grateful to the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, and by extension the Kenya Tourism Board, for this support. It is our conviction that through this year’s tournament’s outreach through the vast live television broadcast, Magical Kenya will be positively profiled across the world. By extension, Kenya’s tourism offering will be amplified through the engagement,” he said.

Besides Kenya, there will be close to 30 other countries that will be represented at the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship scheduled to take place at Karen Country Club from 13^th to 17^th March, 2019. The countries to be represented range from Australia to the United Kingdom.

Among the international star golf players expected to participate in the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship include Haydn Porteous, immediate former Ryder Cup captain and 15-time European Tour Champion Thomas Bjorn, Ho-sung Choi and Shubhankar Sharma.

Since it begun in 1967, the Kenya Open Golf Championship has transformed into an international sporting event of note that has attracted hundreds of international golf players over the years – most of whom are from Kenya’s top tourism source markets in Europe such as the United Kingdom.

Mumias based Dismas Indiza in action during the final round of the Karen lef of the Safari Tour today.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

After a string of second place finishes, it was finally time for Mumias based Dismas Indiza to celebrate at the end of the Karen Country Club leg of the Safari Tour today, after returning a score of 3-over par 74 in the final round to win the leg.

Speaking after the round, Indiza said it was great to finally win a leg of the Safari tour, adding that it was special to win it at Karen a course that he is familiar with.

“I am delighted to finally win a leg of the Safari Tour, I have come close several times and it is special that I have won it here at Karen, a course that I am very fond of. It is great that I have won and I hope to take this momentum into the Magical Kenya Open,” he said.

Indiza’s joy came at the expense of overall series winner Greg Snow who had a morning to forget, returning a round’s score of 7-over par 78. Overnight leader Greg Snow, started the round in good form, completing the first nine holes with a par score of 35, after a hitting a bogey at the par-4 3rd and a birdie at the par-4 7th.

It was however at the back nine where Snow melted, hitting bogeys at the 11th, 17th and 18th coupled by a triple bogey at the par-4 13th, to see him return a back nine score of 7-over par, 43 for a total round score to 7-over par 78, to finish second overall.

On the first nine, Indiza dropped shots on the par-4, first and par-4 3rd before quickly recovering with birdies on the fifth, seventh and ninth holes to return a front nine score of 1-over par 36. The hard hitter did well to hold his nerve through what was a challenging back nine on the day, to return a respectable score of 2-over par, 38, for a total round score of 3-over par 74.

Thika Sports Club’s, Simon Ngige finished third on the overall leader board, two shots behind Greg snow with a score of 6-over par, Ngige shot a round of par-71 to take advantage of the slide by the players who had started the day above him.

Uganda’s Philip Kasozi and Great Rift Valley’s Justus Madoya claimed two of the three remaining slots to the 2019 Magical Kenya Open, after finishing in the top two slots outside the nine who made the cut to play after the Windsor leg of the Safari Tour. Kasozi played an impressive round of 2-under par 69 on the day, to finish fourth on the overall leader board with a score of 7-over par 291, two ahead of Madoya.

Royal Golf Club’s Eric Ooko claimed the final spot after beating Jacob Okello at a play off on the 7th, 8th and 9th holes, after the two had finished the day tied on an overall score of 12-over par. Ooko played a birdie-par-birdie to beat Okello who returned scores of par-bogey-par.

Meanwhile, Nyali Golf & Country Club’s Daniel Nduva emerged top elite amateur, taking home the tournament’s Silver Salver, with a score of 11-over par, to place him tied for 8th on the overall leader board.

Attention now shifts to the Magical Kenya Open, set to take place at the Karen Country Club, from the 14th to the 17th of March 2019.