The Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship set to kick off on March 14, 2019, at the Karen Country Club will be the first of its kind in the country.
In 2018, the Kenya Open Golf Championship attained European Tour status – the prestigious global golf series that features international greats such as Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed, Ho-Sung Choi among others.
Live coverage of the European Tour (ET) Production Team is expected to be transmitted to over 490 million homes in more than 150 countries, generating in excess of 2200 global broadcast hours for each event.
In addition, the European Tour TV (ETTV), a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week online golf channel that is available in every territory across the entire planet, is expected to reach fans beyond the regular broadcast footprint.
Preparations for the eagerly anticipated tournament kicked up a notch on Monday as teams put up critical infrastructure, which included, among others, seating bleachers, hospitality tents, TV towers and TV compound infrastructure.
Over 100 print, electronic and digital media journalists applied for accreditation to the tournament: including Golf Channel, Getty Images and AFP as well as local media organizations.
South Korean internet sensation golfer, Ho-Sung Choi, already landed in the country last week in a bid to acclimatize himself prior to the actual tournament.
Mr Choi was then taken on a game drive at the Nairobi National Park courtesy of the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB).
Kenya will be represented by 18 golf players at the tournament; 12 professional golfers as well as 6 elite amateur golfers.
They include Greg Snow of Muthaiga Golf Club, Dismas Indiza of Mumias Sugar Golf Club, David Opati of Windsor Golf and Country Club, Rizwan Charania of Windsor Golf and Country Club.
Speaking during the revelation of the Kenyan team, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Najib Balala, disclosed that the Ksh250 million sponsorship will prominently position Kenya as the preferred destination.
“We are committed to leveraging on sports in order to create a stronger brand association between our sports personalities and Kenya as a destination,” he added.
Among the international star golf players expected to participate in the tournament include Haydn Porteous, immediate former Ryder Cup captain and 15-time European Tour Champion Thomas Bjorn, Ho-sung Choi and Shubhankar Sharma.