NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 24 – What’s a local golfer worth? Why would you invest so much sponsorship money on organization while players who make events happen continue to languish in obscurity?
Why are Kenyan top pro golfers not empowered financially?
These are some of the commonly asked questions about the state of elite players in Kenya and their future in the sport of golf.
Kenya Vision 2030 Director General Kenneth Mwige demystifies the notion of golf elitism vis-a-vis financial well-being of top locals.
Kenya Vision 2030 Director General Kenneth Mwige in action during the launch of Vision 2030 sponsorship to Kenyan pros. Photo/FRANCIS MBATHA
In quest of the 2022 Kenya Open championship, Mwige has answers to why local professional golfers could be in a financial league of their own overseas.
Mwige believes that there is much more return on investment, but that is only when we create an enabling environment for players to flourish.
“Making a cut in a Tour event makes a Kenyan a national hero. I mean being seen on the golf course by over a billion people is perfect example towards return on investment. Event television cameras don’t just track every swing, but also catch plenty of shots of sponsor logos — on players’ hat, on his lapel and shirt, and on the bag.”
“At Vision 2030, we want to demystify the sport and inspire a whole generation of kids across the country to realize that golf can actually be something to look out for in the future. The next champion in the next 20 years is the kid in the village,” Mwige stated.
“Sports is one of the pillars of Vision 2030 under the social pillar. Kenya Open gives us an opportunity to be viewed by over a billion people through live transmission. For us we chose to focus on players. We have a habit of not concentrating on players when corporate sponsorship comes to the spot.”
Kenya Vision 2030 Director General Kenneth Mwige
The support shown by Kenya Vision 2030 is highly motivating and a great initiative to show their support to Professional golf in Kenya.
This is a great way to market what Kenya is about and what they aim to achieve in the future.
Mwige also appealed to other corporates to support the vision of players well-being and reap the benefits.
If the tradition continues, Mwige believes Kenyans could also savor big prize money overseas.
Tiger Woods has arguably made appearance money in European Tour events acceptable after years of bickering over the issue.
He also drove up the asking price for those lucky enough to demand cash incentives.
Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson each were paid a reported $1.5 million to appear in the previous Saudi International event last year. That was on top of $1 million per man to play in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship two weeks prior.
