MultiChoice Kenya Commercial General Manager, Simon Kariithi presents Peter Mwangi with a DStv Explora Decoder and a golf club bag after he emerged the overall winner during the DSTV Explora Corporate Golf Day at Karen Country Club.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

For the first time in the history of the Kenya Open, MultiChoice Kenya will broadcast live the championship that is now part of the main European Tour, for all four days. The Kenya Open 2019 will be held at the Karen Country Club from March 14^th to 17^th.

MultiChoice Kenya Commercial General Manager Simon Kariithi said this is in line with the company’s mission is to deliver value to customers by making great entertainment more accessible. “Customers have always been at the heart of the brand’s core values and exploring new ways to add value and reward them is a constant driver for the business.  Sport is big for us at MultiChoice Kenya and that is why we all providing our golf lovers with a chance to watch the action live from Karen Country Club.”

MultiChoice Kenya has also scheduled a couple golf tournaments leading up to the Kenya Open. The first of this, DStv Explora Golf Day, was held at Karen Country Club yesterday where 134 golfers took the course. Played under the stableford format, Peter Mwangi, playing off handicap 10, from Royal Nairobi Golf Club took top honours with 41 points. Karen’s Anthony Mulinge, playing off handicap 21 beat Vet Lab’s Ken Mariga to the overall runner-up position on countback with 39 points.

Karen’s lady captain Nellie Ayodo, playing off handicap 22 beat her vice-captain, Rose Mambo, on countback to claim the ladies title with 36 points.

The second MultiChoice pre-Kenya Open tournament is the DStv Business Golf Day to be held at Muthaiga Golf Club on February 22^nd.

Greg Snow poses with the Safari Tour trophy after winning the Muthaiga leg of the golf series by a 15-stroke lead.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The top eight qualifiers to the Kenya Open Golf Championship will be decided at the final Safari Tour event to be held at the Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club from the 16^th to the 20^th of February 2019.

According the Patrick Obath, the Kenya Open Tournament Director, the Safari Tour was the principal ranking route for qualification into the Kenya Open.

“Since August 2018, we have staged five Safari Tour events and at each of these legs the golf professionals have been awarded points based on their performance; the better the performance the more points gained,” Obath said. “The top eight participants from the Safari Tour will be announced at the end of the the sixth leg at Windsor and these eight Pros will be awarded a slot into the Kenya Open Golf Championship 2019.”

Muthaiga’s Greg Snow currently leads the Safari Tour ranking with 95.5 points following his fourth place finish at Nyali, victory at Vet Lab Sports Club, first place finish at Limuru Country Club and victory at Thika Greens and Muthaiga Golf Club. Snow was on top form at Muthaiga, winning that leg of the Tour with a 15-stroke lead.

Mumias resident Professional Dismas Indiza is second with 92 points having been consistent throughout the Tour. He finished second in Nyali, lost to Snow in a playoff at Vet Lab, he was T3 in Limuru, second at Thika Greens and T2 at Muthaiga.

Golf Park’s David Wakhu is third with 61.5 points; he was victorious at the first Safari Tour event at Nyali but has been inconsistent since then, failing to score a single point in Thika Greens for example.

Kenya’s most decorated golf professional at the Kenya Open, Jacob Okello is currently lying joint ninth with 42.5 points, only five points shy of eighth placed Madoya. Okello, Nyali’s Ngugi Njuguna and Uganda’s Philip Kasozi have a mathematical chance of qualifying after the Windsor leg.

Only Snow and Indiza are safe, Wakhu requires 1.5 points at Windsor to finish among the top eighth and qualify for the Kenya Open whilst Charania, who will be playing on his home course, will need at least 3.5 points to qualify.

Indiza will go to Windsor looking for his maiden victory at the Safari Tour whilst Snow will be looking to prove that his resounding victory at Muthaiga was not a fluke. Wakhu, Charania, Ngige and Wangai will be fighting for a place in the top eight and an automatic place in the Kenya Open.

Only 17 professional golfers have a chance to make it into the top eight of the Safari Tour.

In addition to the Kenya Open qualification slots, the Professionals will be playing for a total prize kitty of KShs 3million courtesy of Magical Kenya, Barclays Bank of Kenya and Johnnie Walker. The winner of the Windsor leg will take home KShs 450,000.