This archive report was first published on 4 December 2019.
On December 4, 2019, the Magical Kenya Ladies European Tour open tournament kicked off with the Pro-Am event at Vipingo Ridge's PGA Baobab Course in Kilifi. The event, a historical first for Kenya and East Africa, attracted a large number of lady amateurs.
Among the visiting professionals was Cheyenne Woods, an American golfer and niece of the world-renowned professional golfer, Tiger Woods. Cheyenne, who was playing in Kenya and Africa for the first time, was drawn to tee off at 10:05 am on the first tee, alongside Martha Vincent and Lawrence Kimathi of Karen and Muthaiga's Jean Ngengi.
The Pro-Am event saw a mix of local and international players, including Nigeria's Georgia Oboh and Morocco's Maha Haddioui. The tournament, which offered a prize purse of Euro 300,000 (Sh30 million), was a great opportunity for Kenya's young female golfers, such as Channelle Wangari and Belinda Wanjiru, to learn from the best.
Kenya's lady golfers, including Phylis Kimbo, the chairman of the Kenya Ladies Golf Union, were also participating in the event. The tournament was a significant milestone for women's golf in Kenya and East Africa, and it was expected to be a thrilling competition.
