Kenyan golfers will be poised for a chance at glory in the upcoming Magical Kenya Ladies Open [MKLO], set to unfold at the 18-hole Baobab Course in Vipingo Ridge, from February 8th to 11th.
The event is the only-women’s professional golf tournament in East Africa and has attracted a field of 108 golfers from around the globe with Naomi Wafula, four-time participant Mercy Nyanchama, Channelle Wangari, Jacqueline Walter and Kellie Gachaga representing Kenya.
The tournament is set to be the first in a series of 39 events on the Ladies Europran Tour 2024 calendar, the most fixtures ever held on the tour.
26-year old Wafula from Vipingo Ridge’s PGA Academy, has had a rich history with MKLO as she marks her fourth appearance, having featured in 2019, 2022 and 2023.
In 2022 she was the first woman to compete at the LET, finishing 56th with 18 over par 310. The performance earned her an invite to play at the 2023 Amundi German Masters, a golf championships that’s also in the Ladies European Series.
The event was first held in 2019, before taking a two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, making its return in 2022 and this will be the fourth time in history the tournament takes place.
Esther Henseleit holds the record for most MKLO wins after back-to-back wins in 2019 and 2022.
With a prize fund of $300,000 the Kenyan golfers will be hoping to produce quality performances to ensure triumph.
John Njuguna
