This archive report was first published on 4 December 2019.
On Thursday morning, the Magical Kenya Ladies Open presented by M-Pesa will kick off at the par 72 Vipingo Ridge's Baobab course in Kilifi, marking the first-ever Ladies European Tour tournament in Kenya and East Africa.
The event boasts a prize fund of Euro 300,000 (Sh30 million), with a field of 106 players from 28 countries, including the United States and hosts Kenya.
Two international players had initially confirmed participation but withdrew for various reasons, resulting in two teams having two players each on the 10th tee at 7.30am and 11.50am.
Kenya will be represented by five players, with four amateurs vying for the amateur title and one professional, Bhavi Shah, competing for the cash prize.
Like other Ladies European Tour events, there will be a cut after the second round, with the top 60 players and ties advancing to the final two rounds.
The event has attracted top-ranked players, with Norway's Marianne Skarpnord leading the field, followed closely by Esther Henseleit from Germany, who won Wednesday's Pro-Am.
As the players face the challenging Baobab course, they will need to navigate the strong Indian Ocean wind and play solid shots to succeed.
It will be interesting to see how the three Americans, including Cheyenne Woods, a niece of Tiger Woods, and Beth Allen, the only regular and ranked American player in the Tour, perform against the majority Europeans.
The Baobab course, the only certified PGA course in the region, has been well-prepared for the event, despite some players describing the greens as moderate.
"The greens are not as fast as we usually have at Karen during the Magical Kenya Open, though there is a chance of the organisers making them slightly quicker than they were on Wednesday," said Kenya Open tournament director Patrick Obath.
The event is supported by corporates such as KCB Bank, Capital FM, Aquamist, East African Breweries, Turkish Airlines, Vipingo Development, KPA, and Wilken.
