Battle royale awaits 2025 Magical Kenya Open contest

The 2025 Magical Kenya Open (MKO) golf championship slated for Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi on February 20-23 will be a cutthroat affair following entries of solid five past champions who will battle it out for the lucrative Sh322 million purse money on offer.

On Monday, Absa Bank Kenya sunk Sh60m million into the global championship that has attracted 144 players from across the world.

“Sh40 million will go towards the organisation and preparations of the event. Sh20 million will be used for media, branding and publicity,” Absa Bank Kenya Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Abdi Mohamed told Standard Sports during the high level media press conference in Nairobi.

Darius Van Driel of Netherlands will be present this year to defend his MKO title he won at the championship Muthaiga golf course last season.

However, the impressive Dutchman is facing stiff opposition from four other past winners who are already plotting to dethrone him from the crown.

Among them is Jorge Campillo of Spain who triumphed in the tournament in 2023.

Campillo lost the crown by a whisker to Driel in a tense challenge at Muthaiga last year.

The 2021 double champion (MKO and Savannah Classic) Justin Harding of South Africa  will be on the course to forage for a triple title on Kenyan soil.

Also in the mix is the 2019 MKO and Challenger Tour winner Guido Miggliozi of Italy as well as the 2018 MKO champion Sebastian Soderberg of Sweden who will also take a stab on the Meet.

“We are happy to be part of this great championship that is also marketing Kenya as a global sports tourism destination. Through our theme, ‘Beyond The Swing’, we are hopeful to get stories from the tournament that will go beyond the pitch, those pieces that inspire and motivate Kenyans to  be resilient in their daily endevours,” said Absa Bank Kenya Consumer Banking Director, Moses Muthui.

Away from the international beaters, Kenya will be represented in the tournament by eight pros and five amateurs.

The local charges, to be led by veteran Mumias pro Dismas Indiza, Muthaiga youngster Njoroge Kibugu, new Junior Golf Foundation sensation Shashwat Harish and David Wakhu who had a fairy tale run in the 2021 MKO and Savannah Classic at Karen, are already working round the clock to sail into the money bracket on day two of the championship.

"We project that the three day event will attract over 1.8 billion viewers from across the globe, this is why we should put our best foot forward to market Kenya as a sports tourism destination during the tournament," Muthaiga Golf Club chairman Dennis Mwirigi highlighted.

His sentiments were echoed by Tournament Director and Local Organizing Commiittee Chairman Patrick Obath who reiterated that the over 16000 spectators expected in the championship should expect quality competition going by the solid entries the organisers have received from around the world.

" The Games Village will be on fire with various entertainments for the fans.Our junior players will interact with other youngsters from across the globe who have qualified for the event. Also, our juniors will compete in a shootout contest at hole 13 against the international pros in an the event dubbed 'Beat the Pros' during the tournament," Obath explained.

Professional Golfers of Kenya Vice Captain, Jeff Kubwa, has assured that Kenyan players are doing their best to lift the country's flag high during the 56th edition of the tournament.

On his part, Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum stated: “As a government, we remain committed to creating an enabling environment for sports organisations to thrive in our country. Our commitment is driven by the fact that sports does not only bring us together as a nation but also enable our youth to pursue their sporting talent. It is for this reason that the government has once again agreed to invest heavily financially in making sure that Kenya hosts the Magical Kenya Open 2025.”