Professional Golf in Kenya is growing and unlike in the past when golf was a preserve of the men, the game has developed to become an all-inclusive sport played and enjoyed by both men and women, and of all ages, color and station.
The Kenyan quartet of Naomi Wafula, Mercy Nyanchama, Nancy Wairimu and Chanelle Wangari will today compete against 96 professional golfers from different countries around the world at this year’s Magical Kenya Ladies Open.
Naomi Wafula and Mercy Nyanchama will be making their third appearance at the tournament, having featured in the 2019 and 2022 editions, while 16-year-old Chanelle Wangari and Nancy Wairimu will be making their maiden appearances at the tournament.
The four amateur players will be looking to leave a mark at the tournament that boasts as the only professional ladies golf tournament in the East African region. VetLab Sports Club’s Mercy Nyanchama was the highest-ranked Kenyan at the 2022 edition having finished in the 74th position on a round total of a 14 over par 158 gross.
Once touted as one of Kenya’s most promising young golfers, 16-year-old Chanelle Wangari will be one to watch.
Vipingo Ridge’s PGA Academy star Naomi Wafula finished last year’s edition with a 20 over par total of 164 gross to tie in the 90th place with France’s Marion Duvernay and Denmark’s Linette Littau. She is also hoping for a much robust outing.
Highly ranked amateur, Chanelle Wangari, who has so far won the Kenya Ladies Open Amateur Championship and Faldo Series Kenya Championship, teed off this morning at 8:11AM from the first tee, alongside Lucie Malchirand of France and Sara Kjellker of Sweden.
The other 3 Kenyan players teed off in the afternoon with Naomi Wafula teeing off the first at 1:31 PM in the company of Alice Hewson of England who was ranked 19th in last year’s Race to Costa Del Sol, and Aditi Ashok of India.
The Magical Kenya Ladies Open will be the first in a series of 39 events on the Ladies European Tour 2023 calendar – the most fixtures ever held on the Tour.
The action kicked off on Wednesday 1st February with a Pro-Am tournament, before the field of 96 take on the PGA Baobab Golf Course as of today over four rounds to crown the winner on Sunday 5th February.
“The 2023 Magical Kenya Ladies Open promises to be an exciting and thrilling event, featuring some of the world’s top female golfers competing for the coveted trophy. Fans can expect to see top-notch golfing action, beautiful scenery, and a great atmosphere. We invite all golf enthusiasts to come and join us at the tournament, cheer on your favorite players and be a part of this unforgettable event. It’s truly a magical experience not to be missed,” U.COM Event Managing Director Dirk Glittenberg.
Spectators can purchase tickets to the four-day tournament through the online platform www.ticketsasa.com which are retailing for KES 500 per day.
The tournament is sponsored by among others, the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and The Arts, U.COM , EABL through its Johnnie Walker brand, Magical Kenya, Safaricom’s Mpesa, Huawei, KCB Group and Visa.
