More than 100 golfers from 28 countries in contention

Sports Golf-MARIANNE SKARPNORDE-NORWAY; Norway's Lady Professional Golfer Marianne Skarpnord makes a swing. [Courtesy]

Norway’s lady professional Marianne Skarpnord is among global stars in action at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open in the Ladies European Tour (LET) at the par 72 Vipingo Baobab Ridge course in Kilifi today.

More than 100 from 28 countries across the globe that include Kenya's Lady Professional Bhavi Shah from Nyali are battling for a share of Sh33 million in the four days of action at the 72 hole strokes play Championship.

The 33-year-old Norwegian is ranked top with 687.23 points on the 2019 LET Order of Merit after four wins. She plays on LET and the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour.

As a junior, Skarpnord was considered one of the best talents in Norwegian golf, having won the Junior Solheim Cup in Europe at the age of 17 in 2003.

Esther Henseleit, a 20-year-old German, is the second highest-ranked player with 593.06 points on the LET Order of Merit.

She won her first professional title this season in June in Sweden having turned professional in January 2019 after finishing third at LET Qualifying School.

Nuria Itturios, a 23-year-old Spaniard and who will turn 24 next week, lies third with 510.95 points.

Fourth in the current Let order of merit with 505.65points is 30-year-old Christine Wolf from Austria who started her golf career in 1999 and turned professional in 2012.

English lady golfer Meghan Maclaren,25, who holed the winning putt for Great Britain three years ago and secured their victory over the USA in the Curtis Cup boasts 447.19points.

USA's Cheyenne Woods. [Courtesy]

Cheyenne Woods, 29, a niece of America's former world number Tiger Woods is another player to watch and is the sixth African American to play on the LPGA Tour.

She has two top-ten finishes to her name and will be looking to impress at the LET tourney targeting a record at Kenya’s Vipingo Course.

India’s Aditi Ashok, 21, already has three LET titles to her name and has previously made history as the youngest and first Indian to win the Lalla Aicha Tour School securing her LET card for the 2016 season. She emerged second at the Spanish Open last week.

Scottish-based American Beth Allen is also in the mix. She started playing on the Ladies European Tour in 2008 and turns 38 tomorrow in the second day of the tour at the MKLO tourney. She donated a kidney to her brother who had been suffering with a kidney disorder for 12 years.

The championships, organized by u.com in association with Kenya Ladies Union (KLGU), is presented by Kenya Tourism Board under their Magical Kenya Brand and partner Safaricom’s Mpesa.

Other sponsors are Aquamist, East African Breweries, Turkish Airlines, Vipingo Development, KPA, and Wilken.

A section of the golfers took time off on Tuesday to visit the Kilifi’s Kuruwitu Conservation at Kuruwitu Beach as part of an initiative to familiarize them with part of Kenya’s unique tourism sites.