THE Ladies European Tour has announced it will stage the Magical Kenya Ladies Open for the first time in December.
The Baobab Course at Kenya’s Vipingo Ridge, Kilifi County, will welcome the stars of the LET in the last event of 2019.
The East African country welcomed the European Tour for the first time in March, and the LET will have the same title sponsor Magical Kenya, with presenting sponsor MPesa.
The Kenya Open has been played in men’s game since 1967 and had been won by many of the game’s greats. It was first sanctioned as a Challenge Tour event back 1991.
The event – which is being promoted by U.COM Event GmbH – will mark the very first time professional women golfers will have played competitively in the region as well as bringing the curtain down on the LET Order of Merit for the year.
The 72-hole stroke play competition will prove a significant milestone in the history of the sport in Kenya, and hopes to motivate the next generation of female players throughout the country.
The field size is expected to be 96. In an invitation to the players, Dr Amina C Mohamed, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, said: “We are pleased to host the Magical Kenya Ladies Open for the first time.
“lt is our hope and expectation that your participation will inspire other women to take up the sport and awaken their potential to play professionally.
“We warmly welcome all the players to Kenya and wish everyone a rewarding experience in our magical country.”
The tournament will be broadcast live across the globe to millions of viewers, and the event will show off Kenya as a unique golfing and holiday destination as well as elevate the country as an important player on the world’s stage, not just in terms of golf – but sports in general.
Dirk Glittenberg, managing director of U.COM Event, said: “Our long-term vision of bringing women’s professional golf to Kenya is finally becoming a reality.
“We are always striving to find new destinations for the Ladies European Tour and the Kenyan Coast will be a very memorable one for all players, their guests and TV spectators worldwide.”
Marta Figueras-Dotti, chairwoman of the Buckinghamshire Golf Club-based Ladies European Tour, said: “The announcement of the Magical Kenya Ladies Open is a proud moment for everyone at the Ladies European Tour.
“We are excited to help Kenya build its reputation as a preferred golf destination for women and girls.”
Vipingo Ridge overlooks Indian Ocean
SET among 2,500 acres of manicured gardens, a PGA golf course and wilder terrain, Vipingo Ridge is a secure, gated community with panoramic views from the Indian Ocean in the east to the Chodari Hills in the west.
The exotic East African destination offers property investment opportunities as well as holiday rentals for shorter stays.
And with Africa’s only PGA-accredited golf course featuring a meandering system of lakes and streams that runs throughout the championship-level 18 holes, it is an attractive setting for lovers of the game of golf, says its developers.
