The DP World Tour returns to the continent of Africa this week as the International Swing resumes with the Magical Kenya Open presented by absa. Here are your five things to know.
Van Driel defends
Darius van Driel, this week’s defending champion, was one of 15 first-time winners on the DP World Tour in the 2024 Race to Dubai season. An opening 66 set the tone for the Dutchman 12 months ago and he made just four bogeys all week as he sealed a wire-to-wire win, finishing two shots ahead of England’s Joe Dean and Spaniard Nacho Elvira. "It means a lot... it's a dream come true," said an emotional Van Driel. “I was calm, but once the last putt went in, I felt the emotions. I never thought it would hit that hard, but it did." His victory, along with three further top tens, helped him end the season competing as one of the top 50 available players at the lucrative DP World Tour Championship for the first time in his career. Across his seven starts so far this campaign, his best performance came at the Alfred Dunhill Championship where he finished tied fifth in South Africa.
Tournament history
The Magical Kenya Open presented by absa celebrates its 56th edition this week at Muthaiga Golf Club. First held in 1967, it was subsequently staged on the Safari Circuit between 1977 and 1990, becoming part of the HotelPlanner Tour in 1991. This is the sixth staging since the tournament joined the DP World Tour schedule in 2019. Over the years, it has been won by European golf greats Seve Ballesteros and Ian Woosnam, while in recent times it has provided a springboard for other players to enjoy further success on golf’s biggest stages. Among those are 2000 champion Trevor Immelman, who went on to win the Masters Tournament at Augusta National in 2008. Edoardo Molinari, Team Europe’s Ryder Cup Vice Captain, has gone on to win three DP World Tour titles since his success in his rookie season on the HotelPlanner Tour in 2007, while Aaron Rai has become a Rolex Series winner and more recently a PGA TOUR winner since his triumph in this event in 2017.
Start of run in Africa
After four weeks in the Middle East, the tournament marks the first of three consecutive events in Africa that conclude the International Swing, one of five global swings. Laurie Canter leads the way in the swing rankings, but he is opting to miss this event, with the Investec South African Open Championship and Joburg Open to follow on golf's global tour. So, with the winner this week taking home 585 Race to Dubai points, Haotong Li, Marcus Armitage and Ivan Cantero all have the chance to overtake the Englishman. The winner of the International Swing will gain entry into every event on the Race to Dubai's Second Phase, the Back 9, and a US$200,000 bonus. There is also an exemption into the Genesis Scottish Open up for grabs.
Inside the field
After a one-week break in the schedule, a host of DP World Tour regulars are back on the road. Li won his fourth DP World Tour title in Qatar earlier this month and will be looking to build on that momentum as he seeks to become the second Chinese golfer to win the Magical Kenya Open presented by absa. This season’s fellow winners John Parry and Ryggs Johnston are among those chasing Race to Dubai points, with a $2.5m prize fund on offer. A week after caddying for his sister Momoka, New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori returns to more familiar territory as he continues his rookie DP World Tour season. Other notables include Guido Migliozzi, who won his first DP World Tour title at this event in 2019, while Joe Dean will have great memories from a year ago after finishing runner-up, a result he described as “life-changing”. South Africa’s Jovan Rebula, nephew of Major winner and former World Number One Ernie Els, is making just his 21st DP World Tour start on an invitation, as is Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra. There are a host of Kenyans teeing it up in their home open, including qualifier Njoroge Kibugu who made the cut alongside his brother Mutahi in 2023 and 15-year-old amateur Shashwat Harish.
Monday qualifier
With a platform to showcase their talent on a global stage on offer, there was one final chance for professional and amateur golfers to make their way into the field for this week. There were three spots on offer following the conclusion of a 36-hole one day qualifier at Vetlab Sportsclub in Nairobi, a 30-minute drive from Muthaiga Golf Club, with Uganda's Willy Deus, Malawi's Paul Chidale and Nigerian Sunday Olapade making it through. Eight Kenyan professionals had already secured their places following a 72-hole qualifier at Muthaiga Golf Club last month, with the Monday qualifier open to players from other countries. After the headline-making heroics of Ronald Rugumayo, who became the first Ugandan golfer to make a cut on the DP World Tour last year, could we see someone seize their opportunity to enjoy a chance to write their name into the history books this week?
