Magical Kenya Open: Dutchman Darius van Driel puts his title on the line

Darius van Driel of the Netherlands will put his title on the line as he seeks to defend the 56th edition of the Magical Kenya Open (MKO) golf championship that tees off at Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi today morning.

The Dutchman is also seeking to make history as the second player to have ever won the prestigious trophy twice and back-to-back after a lofty feat achieved by Englishman Maurice Bembridge 56 years ago.

Bembridge won the cup back-to-back in the 1968 and 1969 seasons before returning to Kenya to lift the trophy a decade later in 1979.

The fact that the four-day tournament has attracted other seven past champions will not make Van Driel's dream to be a walk in the park.

The entries by the past winners have stirred up the waters, making this year's championship to be the tightest in the tournament's history.

Another motivating factor for the high-spirited 150 contestants, including 13 Kenyan pros, four Kenyan amateurs and two Kenyan juniors, is the USD 2.5 million (Sh322 million) purse money, where the overall winner will walk home with a cool Sh42 million jackpot.

Eyeing the winner's prize is Ashun Wu of China, who struck a Sh37 million jackpot when he emerged overall winner in 2022, after being guided to victory by his Muthaiga-based Kenyan caddie Victor Navilegwa.

Another inspiration for the participants in the showdown is the CFAO Mobility Kenya and LOXEA's Sh8.2 million BYD Atto 3 E- Mobility vehicle for the hole-in-one prize at the par3 13th.

Locally, Kenya One Michael Karanga will spearhead Kenya's assault at the pristine Muthaiga fairways.

Kenya is seeking redemption after a disastrous outing last season with no single cut, with veteran and seasoned golfer Dismas Indiza emerging as the best-placed local at position 81.

But Karanga, fresh from bagging the Rwandan Open at the weekend and placing eighth overall at the Africa Amateur Golf Championship at Leopard Creek in South Africa a fortnight ago, is ready to right the wrongs made by the Kenyan squad last year.

"I'm not aiming for the cut, I just want to lift the trophy," the sensational Kiambu hard hitter told Standard Sports.

David Wakhu of Golf Park returns to the prestigious tournament after battling a back injury that put him out of the game for the last two years.

Wakhu had a fairy tale run in the 2021 Savannah Classic, where he was among the two Kenyans who made the cut.