Hungry local pros chase maiden glory as Magical Kenya Open tees off

With Frenchman Rozner Antoine having flown straight home after his one shot victory at the Commercial Bank of Qatar Masters at the Education City Golf Club in Doha, and the top leaders in the “Race to Dubai’’ not available, Italian Guido Migliozzi is now the favourite at the par 71 Karen Country Club course where the 2021 Magical Kenya Open gets underway from 7am on Thursday.

Migliozzi, who shot seven under par in Doha to tie for second place with South Africa’s Darren Fichardt and India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar, returns to Karen to try and complete a double after clinching the 2019 edition of the Magical Kenya Open being presented by Johnnie Walker and supported by Absa.

It was one of those unexpected victories for the Italian who however maintained his form thereafter, to retain his European Tour card. Currently in 32nd place in the Race to Dubai, he will be facing among others, Bhullar, and a host of hot charging youngsters who are trying to garner more points towards the “Race to Dubai”.

Then there is the group of England’s Chris Paisley who at 17th place in the Order of Merit is probably the top ranked player this week besides the defending champion Migliozzi.

During the Doha event, Paisley shot four under par to tie for seventh place with South Africa’s Brandon Stone, and a shot behind England’s Richard MCEvoy and Jamie Donaldson of Wales.

All of those plus American Kurt Katayama will be after a slice of the cake if not the whole cake at Karen where a field of 156 players including six amateurs drawn from 30 countries will be battling it out minus the usual crowds as the event, like all the European Tour players, is closed to the public because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Katayama shot three under in Doha and will be out to mprove on this in the Magical Kenya Open which will be followed the newly introduced Kenya Savannah Classic which is also part of the European Tour series.

Open race

It is an open field with a room for even the past winners Sebastian Soderberg of Sweden, England’s Aaron Rai, and two other Italians Edoardo Molinari and Lorenzo Gagli who are also seeking a double in the Open. One can’t also write off the South Africans who have claimed the title six times before.

Leading them will obviously be Darren Fichardt, who will probably find the Karen course an easier one to handle than the Education City Golf Club course, where the strong wind made it impossible for high scores.

Then there is the victory hungry contingent of the 13 local professionals who appear high charged probably because of the number of events they have played in the Safari Tour and the strong competition brought about by the other regional players such as Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi, Uganda’s Philip Kasozi and Nigerian Andrew Odoh.

Over the past two seasons of the Kenya Open Golf Limited owned Safar Tour, the Kenyans particularly players like Dismas Indiza, Greg Snow, newcomer Samuel Njoroge and Simon Ngige have posted impressive scores not just here at home, but even in the Uganda Open which forms part of the Tour.

“My focus this year is to win the Open and not just making the cut. The course is playing well this time around and somehow easy to score if one stays on-course," said Snow during the last event in the Safari Tour also held at Karen.

Impossible is nothing

For Indiza, the most popular pro in the country who at 52 years and still giving the young players a run for their money, there is nothing impossible in golf. “If one stays focused and plays the course the way it is, it is possible to return high scores and even win the event. We have been focusing on making cut and I think we need to change that attitude and develop a winning attitude," said Indiza, who during the final leg of the Safari Tour, shot 14 under par to tie with Zimbabwe’s Chinhoi who eventually beat him in a sudden death after tying in a three-hole play-off.

During the 2019 Open which was being played for the first time as part of the European Tour, Simon Ngige finished 25th and he is also out to bring a better score. Of the others, Riz Charania, a consistent player, is also charged and ready for a better performance and so are players like Eric Ooko who is chasing his first cut, and Njoroge who will be playing for the first time in the Open as a pro.

The fight for the amateur title, which has proved elusive for the local amateurs since 2010, will be between the two national champions Isaac Makokha of Vet Lab, and Royal Nairobi’s Jay Sandhu.

Taking the two leading amateurs will be former match play champion Paul Muchangi, two juniors Mutahi Kibugu and Taimur Malik and Tanzania’s leading amateur Victor Joseph.

Only the top four will then proceed to the Kenya Savannah Classic, whether they make cut or not.

In the Classic they will be joined by Nyali’s Adel Balala and Michael Karanga of Kiambu. The Classic, also to be held at Karen, starts on March 23.