Barclays Bank of Kenya Managing Director Jeremy Awori hands over a cheque to Kenya Open Golf Limited chairperson Peter Kanyago today.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Last year’s Ryder Cup winning captain Thomas Bjorn headlines the star attractions that have been confirmed for the March 14-18 Magical Kenya Open which is making its debut as a European Tour event.

The 47 year old is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won 15 tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. He captained the winning European side at the 2018 Ryder Cup.

Bjorn, who was elected chairman of the European Tour’s tournament committee in 2007, started his golfing career in 1993. In 1995 he won four tournaments on the Challenge Tour to earn his card for his debut year on the European Tour in 1996. Bjørn made his breakthrough immediately winning his maiden tour title in his debut season at the Loch Lomond World Invitational.

The Danish will be joined on the list by 22-year old Indian pro golfer Shubhankar Sharma who recorded his first tour win in the Joburg Open in December 2017. He then followed this with a second win at the Maybank Championship in February 2018, a win that earned him full membership of the European Tour.

South Africa’s Haydn Porteous will also make a return to Kenya for another shot at the title that he won in 2015 when the Open was still a Challenge Tour event. In January 2016, Porteous won his maiden European Tour title with a two-stroke victory at the Joburg Open which is a co-sanctioned event with the Sunshine Tour.

Meanwhile, former title sponsors Barclays Bank (Absa Group Limited) pumped in Sh 220 million in the Open over the next two years. The money will be split between operational costs of the event, with Sh150 million injected into the tournament while the remaining Sh70 million will be used to further amplify the profile of the event.

“For the past eight years, working with the Kenya Open Golf Limited, we have grown the stature of this tournament and turned it into an asset not only for the golfing fraternity, but for the country,” Barclays Bank of Kenya Managing Director Jeremy Awori said.

Windsor’s Rizwan Charania in action at a past Safari Tour event. He currently leads the field at his home club leg of the series with one round left to play.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club’s Rizwan Charania continued with his steady form at his home club’s leg of the Safari Tour Golf Series to remain top of the leader board with a two-stroke lead with one round of the leg remaining. He returned a 1-over 73 score on the third round of the tournament, taking his total for the tournament to 2-under par 214; two shots ahead of Dismas Indiza who stormed to second place.

On the first nine, Charania started the round with a birdie on the par-4, first before dropping a shot on the par-3, fourth. He quickly remedied the situation with a birdie on the par-5, fifth before holing another bogey on the par-4, seventh for a total of 36 on the first nine; having held par on the other holes.

On the back nine, he dropped shots on the par-4, 11^th but made a birdie on the par-5, 12^th. A bogey on the par-3 17^th took his total for the back nine to 37 having held par on the other holes.

Speaking after the round, he said: “I still have a long way to go but I am happy with my overall performance. I have improved on my putting which has been my greatest shortcoming and I feel that I can carry this momentum into the Kenya Open.”

Commenting on how the Safari Tour has helped the local Pros prepare for this year’s Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship, he said: “I have really enjoyed it; it has given us professionals a wakeup call to step up our game, and has also given us great experience which will be used at the Kenya Open.”

Meanwhile, Mumias Sugar’s Dismas Indiza returned an impressive 2-under par 70 score to take his total for the tournament to level-par 216; enough to take him to second place with one leg to go. On the first nine, he holed consecutive birdies on the par-4, second and the par-5, third before dropping shots on the par-4, sixth and the par-4, seventh; but a birdie on the par-4, ninth was enough to take his first nine total to 35.

On the back nine, he started off with a bogey on the par-4, 10^th but quickly cancelled it out with a birdie on the par-4, 11^th. A birdie on the par-5, 15^th was enough to take his back nine total to 35; having held par on the rest of the holes.

But the day’s headline story comes from Golf Park’s Tony Omuli who shot an impressive 3-under par 69 (the lowest score so far at this leg) to take his total for the tournament to 2-over par 218 to tie for third alongside Muthaiga’s Greg Snow. On the first nine, he holed birdies on the second, third holes and sixth holes; dropping a lone shot at the eighth for a first nine total of 34. On the back nine, he dropped a single shot at the par-4, 14^th but holed birdies on the 18^th and the 17^th to take his back nine total to 35.  On his part, Greg Snow returned a score of level-par 72 to retain his total tournament score of 2-over par 218.

Players tee off at 8:00am tomorrow for the final round of the Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club leg of the Safari Tour where the top eight PROs on the Road to Kenya Open ranking will automatically qualify to play at this year’s Magical Kenya Golf Championship.