A golfer in action.[photo/kenyagolfguide.co.ke]One week after the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) took it upon themselves to organize a self-sponsored qualifying series for the Barclays Kenya Open slated for March 22-25, the title sponsors have announced a six-tournament qualifying series starting February 2.
PGK teed-off their qualifier series at Muthaiga Golf Club last week, with Sigona as next stop on their odyssey followed by Royal Golf Club and finally back to Muthaiga concluding the pro golfers’ campaign at Sigona for the Jamii Telcom tourney slated for March 13-15.
Contrary to PGK’s plan, Barclays, the title sponsors of the Kenya Open have indicated that their Sh32 million sponsored series will feature the Nairobi Open at the Karen Golf Club on February 2, followed by the Nakuru Open at the Nakuru Golf Club February 10, then the Kisumu Golf Open at the Nyanza Golf Club on February 24.
We expected their input last year after media reports that they would sponsor our preparations and build up to the Open to a tune of Sh8 million but since nothing was forthcoming by January we chose to prepare the qualifiers as golfers,” explained PGK chairperson Cheran Thethy.
As the qualifiers continue, Kenya has been handed 22 slots for the professionals and six for amateurs but only 18 are being contested for as four professionals have made the cut feature in the challenge tour.
The four include Mumias’ Dismas Indiza, Thika’s Simon Ngige and Windsor’s Riz Charania who made the cut in last year’s edition of the Open while Stephan Andersen has been handed a wildcard for his current form and performance in the just, concluded BMW South Africa Open held in January 11-14.
Meanwhile, following the President’s directive to have the prize money for the Open increased, the government has sponsored the event to a tune of Sh102.3 million (1million dollars) for a period of five years.