Every year, the prestigious Magical Kenya Open (MKO) golf tournament, presented by Absa Bank Kenya, pumps in millions of shillings into the Kenyan economy.
This season, Kenya Open Golf Limited (KOGL) has projected that the global golf showdown, whose 57th edition will be held at the pristine Karen Golf and Country Club in Nairobi on February 19-22, will bless Kenya’s economy with over USD 5 million (Sh643 Million).
This is a major boost to the country’s tourism sector, with support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Already, hotels in Nairobi and the surrounding areas are reporting a surge in bookings ahead of the tournament.
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On the pitch, the 144 players from 25 countries, comprising a mix of Kenyan professional golfers, Kenyan amateur golfers, regional professional golfers and international professional golfers, set to battle for the honours in the championship, stand to reap big.
The players will share the Sh 348 million prize purse, with the overall winner heading home with over Sh60 million.
The fortunes to be battled for in Karen has already attracted five former MKO winners- 2019 Guido Migliozzi (Italy), 2021 Justin Harding (South Africa), 2022 Ashun Wu (China), 2023 Jorge Campillo (Spain) and 2024 Darius Van Driel (Netherlands).
Also, Jacques Kruyswijk of South Africa, who fired 18 over par 266 to earn his first ever victory in a DP World Tour event at Muthaiga last year, will be on the course to wage for war. Kruyswijk’s feat in Muthaiga earned him Sh 55 million bounty as second-placed Englishman John Parry headed home with Sh35 million.
While the pros and amateurs make it home with millions of shillings from the tournament every season, there is anew crop of players who will this season join them in the ‘money heist’ spree, and they are the Kenya junior players.
Through the Junior Golf Foundation (JGF) and the DP World Tour, tournament sponsors Absa Bank Kenya, who have already sunk Sh65 million in this year’s tournament, of which Sh 25 million will be used for leverage, will host a lucrative contest for young players on February 21 in Karen in a showdown dubbed Absa ‘Beat the Pro’ Challenge.
The contest will see the qualified juniors compete alongside global pros at a selected hole to see who lands closer to the pin.
Any junior who beats the pros will then be rewarded with a fully funded Absa Junior Account worth Sh 50, 000, reinforcing the bank’s focus on early financial inclusion and talent development.
Already fired up for the contest are three last year’s champions -Mitansh Thacker (Sigona), Kevin Anyien (Golf Park) and Kanana Muthomi (Windsor).
“It was an honor to play alongside the pro in Muthaiga. The competition was lovely and full of fun. The wind was pumping against me, I felt the pressure and adrenaline rush when millions of people were watching me, both on the pitch and live on the screens across the world,” Thacker told Standard Sports when he was rewarded with the account by the bank in Muthaiga.
He had pledged to give his parents the Sh 50,000 won, noting that they had been so instrumental in his golfing career.
Muthomi had pledged to invest the funds won in her golf kits, promising to return better and ready to conquer this season’s challenge.
“The competition was helpful, I learnt knew skills, I got tactics that will take my career to the next level,” Muthomi noted after the win.
On his part, Anyien, whose role model is global golf sensation Tiger Woods, indicated: “I actually got to know how it feels to be inside the ropes, I understood the pressure the pros go through when they stand in that tee-box, it was great to experience that sort of feeling.”
KOGL Chairman Patrick Obath said they are targeting between 20 and 25 players for the Absa ‘Beat the Pro’ Challenge set for Karen.
“The contest targets junior players between 12-18 years and with handicaps not less than 9.0, but the whole criteria will be decided over by the JGF. This event is meant to motivate our juniors as they are our MKO future players,” Obath noted.
While expounding about the junior contest to be held alongside the MKO, Absa Bank Kenya Marketing and Corporate Affairs Director Mwihaki Wachira noted: “We are holding the challenge for the second-year running. The players will go head-to-head with the pros. We are doing this event for two reasons:
“One, to grow the junior talent in this country by giving them exposure. When they stand next to the global pros, our junior players get to learn one or two things from that experience.
“They see what these pros from around the world come with, how they play their golf, the things they pay close attention to. It’s actually a priceless opportunity for them to be coached, mentored by the pros and be part of the MKO.
“Secondly, we do this to invest in the growth of their skills, as these young players will be the ones to carry our flag high in the future MKO editions. It is also worth noting that our participation to grow young talent is not limited to golf alone. We have other programs with the Sports Ministry and Athletics Kenya that revolve around Kip Keino Classic and the Sirikwa Cross Country Classic, that are both involve the youths.
“This year, we are involved with over 3000 youths who will also taking part in the Sirikwa Cross Country Classic this weekend.
“We also have financial literacy programs for youths in golf and athletics- both on course and off the track.
“We invest in days prior to competitions where we sit with the young ones and take them through lessons on how to manage their hard-earned prize monies. We tell them saving options available and insurance options to take so they grow in sports and start saving big money, and from this they are able to plan well with their winnings, securing a better future for their families.
Wachira noted that they are planning to come up with a countrywide golf series after the MKO to keep local players active in the sport.
She highlighted on ways this years MKO is going to have an impact on Kenya’s economy, boosting the whole ecosystem that include entertainment, hospitality, transport, among others.
She hinted that the bank is set to support a selected number of players heading to this year’s MKO with the announcement for the same set for the coming days.
“I also urge Kenyans and golf fans to turn up in large numbers in Karen to cheer our players as they battle in the 2026 MKO. There will also be lots of entertainment at the Games Village which they should be ready to enjoy,” Wachira noted.
UTILITES
2025 Absa ‘Beat the Pro’ Challenge winners
-Mintash Thacker- Sigona Golf Club- Sh50,000
-Kevin Anyien- Golf Park- Sh50,000
-Kanana Muthomi- Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club- Sh 50,000