Snow leads nine other pros to 2019 Magical Kenya Open

Kenyan Pros for this year's Magical Kenya Open at Windsor on Wednesday February 20, 2019. Left to right: Tony Omuli, Greg Snow, Nelson Simwa, Riz Charania, David Wakhu, David Opati, John Wangai and Dismas Indiza. [Standard Sports]

Nine Kenyan players have qualified to play at this year’s Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship, presented by Barclays Bank of Kenya, now called Absa Group Limited.

The team of Kenyan pros was named following the conclusion of the 2018/2019 Safari Tour Golf series at the Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club, yesterday.

Two players tied for eighth spot – the Safari Tour Golf Series qualifying cut-off for the Kenya Open – pushing the number of players qualifying to nine.

Europe’s 2018 Ryder Cup winning captain Thomas Bjorn of Denmark is among top golfers expected at Karen Country Club, Nairobi, the Kenya Open Golf Limited announced on Tuesday.

Pan-African financial institution Absa Group Limited, which operates in Kenya as Barclays Bank, raised the stakes on Tuesday when it unveiled a Sh220 million investment in the Magical Kenya Open golf tournament over the next two years.

Muthaiga Golf Club’s Greg Snow leads the Kenyan team of nine professional players having accrued a total of 113.5 points across the six Safari Tour golf series.

Snow has been dominant, taking maximum points in four of the six Safari Tour events, to take top spot on the Road to Kenya Open ranking. He has featured at the Kenya Open 11 times with his best effort coming in 2014 when he finished 10th.

He is joined by Mumias Golf Club’s Dismas Indiza, who amassed 111 points after a consistent performance across the Safari Tour to finish second. 

Indiza has featured at the Kenya Open 19 times; with his best finish being tenth in the 2008 edition.

Windsor’s Rizwan Charania booked third spot on the road to Kenya Open ranking having amassed a total of 79 points; with his win of the Windsor leg of the tour cementing third spot.

He has played at the Kenya Open 14 times; his best finish coming in 2017.

David Wakhu, who won the Nyali Golf and Country Club leg of the Safari Tour Golf Series, finished fourth on the Road to the Kenya Open ranking, with a total of 72 points; while the Professional Golfers of Kenya Captain, John Wangai, finished fifth with 68.5 points. He has featured at the Kenya Open on six occasions.

Thika Golf Club’s, Simon Ngige, finished sixth with 66.5 points and shall now take part at his 13th Kenya Open tournament; while Golf Park’s Tony Omuli will be taking part at his seventh Kenya Open event having finished in seventh place on the Road to Kenya Open ranking with 53.5 points.

Meanwhile, Vet Lab Sports Club’s Nelson Simwa and Windsor’s David Opati tied for eighth with 51 points apiece to complete the list of nine Kenyan players at this year’s tournament.

The Safari Tour Golf Series, which was launched in August last year, formed the qualification tournament for Kenyan players taking part this year’s Kenya Open.