All systems go as Kenya Open tees off

By The Albatross

The Barclays Kenya Open Golf Championship gets under way tomorrow at the par 71 Muthaiga golf course. The course has been prepared to international standards befitting this premier event, the only one in the entire East Africa.

The Kenya Open Golf Championship is the oldest African event on the European PGA Challenge Tour. The Challenge Tour is normally a stepping stone along the development of careers of budding professional golfers, who eventually go on to grace the major Tours in the European PGA and the main US PGA.

Over the years, The Kenya Open has been part of the launching pad, of such greats as Vijay Singh of Fiji, who went on to win the highest money prize in golf as the winner of the US $ 10m prize in the FedEx Cup in 2008.

That win in the FedEx Cup play-offs propelled him to the highest number of wins in the PGA for a non-American, a record still standing to-date.

Ali Kimani is among local players carrying a nation’s hopes in the Kenya Open. [PHOTO: MAARUFU MOHAMED/STANDARD]

For 32 weeks he was the world’s top golfer after dislodging the all time great, Tiger Woods.

Other outstanding golfers who have graced The Kenya Open during their early careers are Severiano Ballesteros, who won the event in 1978, Ian Woosnam (winner in 1986), Sandy Lyle, Sir Nick Faldo, the South African Trevor Immelman, the winner in 2000 and who went to become the 2008 Masters champion and, lately Eduardo Molinari, winner in 2007, now enjoying top form and getting his winning ways in the PGA. He was in the European team that lifted the Ryder Cup, last year.

It is in this context then that the absence of the 2010 champion, Robert Dinwiddie, must be seen. It is not altogether negative.

There is a strong local contingent of professionals who are working towards keeping the top prize of Euro 30,400 here at home. They are led by Greg Snow, who is currently in top form and is expected to perform well. Nicholas Rokoine, Ali Kimani, Brian Njoroge and Simon Ngigi are also expected to give a good account of themselves. There will be a total of 15 Kenyan professionals and six top amateurs. Apart from the Kenya professional, Africa is well represented in this tournament with participants from Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, and even as far afield as Nigeria.

The six leading Kenyan amateurs include Nelson Mudanyi, Nadeem Alibhai and Collins Omondi.

It is from this pool of accomplished amateurs that the professional ranks are fed, ensuring a continuous development of talent and perpetual succession.