The 43rd edition of the Barclays Kenya Open Golf Championship is drawing closer. The tournament which will kick-off at the Muthaiga Golf Club is set to tee off on March 31 to 3rd April.
The four-day event kicks off on March 30th with the Pro-Am. About 150 local and international players will be battling for the €190,000 prize money. Africa will be showcasing 50 players from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Egypt, Uganda, Rwanda and Swaziland. Kenya will have at least 15 Professional golfers as well as selected Amateurs.
Barclays Kenya Open golf championship joined the Challenge Tour Schedule 20 years ago, since which the tournament has produced numerous noteworthy displays of golfing finesse. In previous years the event has been won by Gary Boyd (2009) and Eduardo Molinari (2007), both of whom have since excelled on The European Tour.
Last year (2010) Ali Kimani of the Vet Lab sports Club made heads turn by becoming the first Kenyan golfer to be named overnight-leader. Ali Kimani's impressive play earned him an incredible 65 that included 8 birdies, to close out a 2 shot lead over the rest of the field on Day 2. Ali is currently lying 3rd in the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) Order of Merit, and expectations are high that he and other Kenyans will perform well in the forthcoming Championship.
Expected to grace the tournament this year are seasoned players like Iain Pyman – past winner of Kenya open and most prolific winner on the tour with 8 wins to his credit, Andre Bossert who won the 1992 tournament at Muthaiga, Gboyega Oyebanji and Lateef Lasisi from Nigeria, Chris Gerhaty (Egypt), Scott Drummond (former PGA tour winner including Volvo PGA Championship in 2004), Tongo Charamba and Ignatius Mketekete from Zimbabwe among others.
The prize money for the championship has been raised mainly from local corporate sponsors. The sponsors this year include Barclays Bank, who are the title sponsors, Kenya Airways who carry the banner of ‘Official Carrier' for the tournament, Kenya Tourism Board, Kenya Power & Lighting Company, Kenya Airports Authority, Kenya Commercial Bank, Co-operative Bank Mumias, Dasani, and the hole-in-one sponsorship which has been taken by Toyota, with their latest Toyota Prado valued at Kshs 8.5milion being on offer for the first professional player to hole out in 1 at the 13th hole.
There will also be the ‘longest drive' competition held on Friday 1st April, sponsored by Barclays Bank, and the ‘Charity Shoot' out on Saturday 2nd April, sponsored by SDV Transami.
The four-day event kicks off on March 30th with the Pro-Am. About 150 local and international players will be battling for the €190,000 prize money. Africa will be showcasing 50 players from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Egypt, Uganda, Rwanda and Swaziland. Kenya will have at least 15 Professional golfers as well as selected Amateurs.
Barclays Kenya Open golf championship joined the Challenge Tour Schedule 20 years ago, since which the tournament has produced numerous noteworthy displays of golfing finesse. In previous years the event has been won by Gary Boyd (2009) and Eduardo Molinari (2007), both of whom have since excelled on The European Tour.
Last year (2010) Ali Kimani of the Vet Lab sports Club made heads turn by becoming the first Kenyan golfer to be named overnight-leader. Ali Kimani's impressive play earned him an incredible 65 that included 8 birdies, to close out a 2 shot lead over the rest of the field on Day 2. Ali is currently lying 3rd in the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) Order of Merit, and expectations are high that he and other Kenyans will perform well in the forthcoming Championship.
Expected to grace the tournament this year are seasoned players like Iain Pyman – past winner of Kenya open and most prolific winner on the tour with 8 wins to his credit, Andre Bossert who won the 1992 tournament at Muthaiga, Gboyega Oyebanji and Lateef Lasisi from Nigeria, Chris Gerhaty (Egypt), Scott Drummond (former PGA tour winner including Volvo PGA Championship in 2004), Tongo Charamba and Ignatius Mketekete from Zimbabwe among others.
The prize money for the championship has been raised mainly from local corporate sponsors. The sponsors this year include Barclays Bank, who are the title sponsors, Kenya Airways who carry the banner of ‘Official Carrier' for the tournament, Kenya Tourism Board, Kenya Power & Lighting Company, Kenya Airports Authority, Kenya Commercial Bank, Co-operative Bank Mumias, Dasani, and the hole-in-one sponsorship which has been taken by Toyota, with their latest Toyota Prado valued at Kshs 8.5milion being on offer for the first professional player to hole out in 1 at the 13th hole.
There will also be the ‘longest drive' competition held on Friday 1st April, sponsored by Barclays Bank, and the ‘Charity Shoot' out on Saturday 2nd April, sponsored by SDV Transami.
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