Kenya Open gains European Tour status, eyes top international players for 2019

Source: Xinhua| 2018-08-14 17:28:27|Editor: Li Xia
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NAIROBI, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Kenya Open Golf Championship has been ratified as part of the prestigious European Tour and will attract top international players including world top seed Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed, and Tommy Fleetwood.

The 2019 Kenya Open Golf Championship, which will be held in Nairobi's Karen Country Club from March 14-17 will draw the interest of top golf talent from across the globe and further boost the country's sports tourism and golf competition prospects.

Organizers Kenya Open Golf Limited (KOGL) have also confirmed a double increment in the prize pack with a total of US Dollars 1.26 million on offer to the winners. The tournament marked its 50 years this season.

KOGL Chairman Peter Kanyago believes the event as part of the European Tour will see Kenya entertain a larger profile of players who will improve the quality of competition.

"Today, I am pleased to announce that the Kenya Open Golf Championship, having been ascertained to attain the requirements to join the European Tour, has officially received the European Tour status and will be part the worldwide golf circuit starting next year. We are delighted to have achieved this milestone as we believe it will propel the Kenya Open Golf Championship to the next level as we embark on this new phase of the tournament," said Kanyago said in Nairobi on Tuesday.

The prize increase also follows the announcement by President Uhuru Kenyatta in March this year that the Government is increasing its commitment towards the tournament.

"The government support has seen the total prize kitty doubled from 570,850 U.S. dollars to 1.26 million dollars. We believe that the tournament will attract a higher caliber of top players from across the globe - further raising the profile of the event," said Kanyago.

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