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Wikipedia / Kenya Open

The Kenya Open, currently titled as the Magical Kenya Open for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tournament in Kenya founded in 1967.

History

The Kenya Open was an associate event on the Far East Circuit in 1967 and 1968, after which it became a cornerstone of the emerging Safari Circuit – a collection of tournaments initially in Kenya and Zambia, and then later in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe. The European Tour, who had taken over running of the Safari Tour in the late 1970s, began to expand globally through the 1980s and those events formally became part of the second tier Challenge Tour in 1991. With the exception of the 1994 event, the Kenya Open remained on the Challenge Tour schedule until 2019 when it was elevated to the elite European Tour schedule.

In 2019, the tournament became a European Tour event and was played in mid-March during the same week as The Players Championship on the PGA Tour.

The tournament has always been held near Nairobi, either at Muthaiga Golf Club (1967, 1969–2002, 2009–2012, 2017–2018, 2022–2023) or at Karen Country Club (1968, 2004–2008, 2013–2016, 2019, 2021).

The title has been won by some of Europe's Ryder Cup golfers, including Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, Ken Brown, Edoardo Molinari and Christy O'Connor Jnr, as well as future Masters champion Trevor Immelman. The most successful player is Maurice Bembridge, who recorded three victories between 1968 and 1979.

Winners

Year

Tour

Winner

Score

To par

Margin ofvictory

Runner(s)-up

Venue

Ref.

Magical Kenya Open

2026

EUR

Casey Jarvis

255

−25

3 strokes

Davis Bryant

Karen

2025

EUR

Jacques Kruyswijk

266

−18

2 strokes

John Parry

Muthaiga

2024

EUR

Darius van Driel

270

−14

2 strokes

Joe Dean Nacho Elvira

Muthaiga

2023

EUR

Jorge Campillo

266

−18

2 strokes

Masahiro Kawamura

Muthaiga

2022

EUR

Wu Ashun

268

−16

4 strokes

Aaron Cockerill Thriston Lawrence Hurly Long

Muthaiga

2021

EUR

Justin Harding

263

−21

2 strokes

Kurt Kitayama

Karen

2020

EUR

Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic

2019

EUR

Guido Migliozzi

268

−16

1 stroke

Adri Arnaus Louis de Jager Justin Harding

Karen

Barclays Kenya Open

2018

CHA

Lorenzo Gagli

273

−11

Playoff

Jens Fahrbring

Muthaiga

2017

CHA

Aaron Rai

267

−17

3 strokes

Adrien Saddier

Muthaiga

2016

CHA

Sebastian Söderberg

270

−18

3 strokes

Romain Langasque

Karen

2015

CHA

Haydn Porteous

271

−17

Playoff

Brandon Stone

Karen

2014

CHA

Jake Roos

278

−10

1 stroke

Adrien Bernadet Lasse Jensen Pedro Oriol

Karen

2013

CHA

Jordi García Pinto

272

−12

1 stroke

Tim Sluiter

Karen

2012

CHA

Seve Benson

274

−10

Playoff

Lasse Jensen

Muthaiga

2011

CHA

Michiel Bothma

270

−14

2 strokes

Tyrone Ferreira

Muthaiga

Kenya Open

2010

CHA

Robert Dinwiddie

272

−12

3 strokes

Julio Zapata

Muthaiga

Tusker Kenya Open

2009

CHA

Gary Boyd

271

−13

4 strokes

Andrew Butterfield Philip Golding

Muthaiga

2008

CHA

Iain Pyman

272

−12

3 strokes

Thomas Feyrsinger

Karen

2007

CHA

Edoardo Molinari

274

−6

1 stroke

James Kamte

Karen

2006

CHA

Johan Axgren

270

−10

4 strokes

James Hepworth Gary Lockerbie

Karen

2005

CHA

Daniel Vancsik

272

−8

3 strokes

Michael Kirk

Karen

Kenya Open

2004

CHA

Marc Cayeux

270

−10

Playoff

Leif Westerberg

Karen

2003: No tournament

Sameer Kenya Open

2002

CHA

Lee S. James

265

−19

3 strokes

Titch Moore

Muthaiga

Tusker Kenya Open

2001

CHA

Ashley Roestoff

271

−13

Playoff

Andrew Sherborne

Muthaiga

2000

CHA

Trevor Immelman

270

−14

4 strokes

Henrik Stenson

Muthaiga

1999

CHA

Maarten Lafeber

265

−19

3 strokes

Erik Andersson

Muthaiga

1998

CHA

Ricardo González

272

−12

Playoff

Jacob Okello

Muthaiga

Lonrho Kenya Open

1997

CHA

Jorge Berendt

268

−16

4 strokes

Sammy Daniels

Muthaiga

Kenya Open

1996

CHA

Mike Miller

272

−12

Playoff

Phil Harrison Robert Lee

Muthaiga

1995

CHA

James Lee

265

−19

5 strokes

Thomas Bjørn Chris Williams

Muthaiga

1994

Paul Carman

276

−8

Playoff

Glenn Ralph

Muthaiga

1993

CHA

Craig Maltman

276

−8

Playoff

Peter Harrison Daniel Westermark

Muthaiga

Standard Chartered Kenya Open

1992

CHA

André Bossert

272

−12

1 stroke

Craig Maltman

Muthaiga

1991

CHA

Jeremy Robinson

269

−15

5 strokes

Paul Affleck Philip Golding Sandy Stephen

Muthaiga

555 Kenya Open

1990

SAF

Christy O'Connor Jnr

271

−13

2 strokes

Chris Platts

Muthaiga

1989

SAF

David Jones

271

−13

3 strokes

Mark Mouland

Muthaiga

1988

SAF

Chris Platts

271

−13

1 stroke

Mark Mouland

Muthaiga

1987

SAF

Carl Mason

275

−9

Playoff

Gordon J. Brand Roger Chapman Martin Poxon

Muthaiga

1986

SAF

Ian Woosnam

273

−11

Playoff

Bill Longmuir

Muthaiga

1985

SAF

Garry Harvey

278

−6

1 stroke

Brian Waites

Muthaiga

1984

SAF

José María Cañizares

277

−7

Playoff

David J. Russell

Muthaiga

Benson & Hedges Kenya Open

1983

SAF

Ken Brown

274

−10

1 stroke

Jeff Hall

Muthaiga

1982

SAF

Eamonn Darcy

274

−10

1 stroke

David Jagger

Muthaiga

1981

SAF

Brian Barnes

274

−10

1 stroke

Bernard Gallacher Sandy Lyle

Muthaiga

1980

SAF

Brian Waites

271

−13

1 stroke

Bill Longmuir

Muthaiga

1979

SAF

Maurice Bembridge (3)

271

−13

Playoff

Bernard Gallacher

Muthaiga

Kenya Open

1978

SAF

Seve Ballesteros

274

−10

1 stroke

Bernard Gallacher

Muthaiga

1977

SAF

Liam Higgins

283

−1

1 stroke

Gary Smith Bob Wynn

Muthaiga

1976: No tournament due to economic problems

1975

Gary Smith

276

−12

Playoff

Jack Newton

Muthaiga

1974

David Jagger

274

−14

1 stroke

Malcolm Gregson

Muthaiga

1973

Jan Dorrestein (2)

276

−12

1 stroke

David Jagger

Muthaiga

1972

David Llewellyn

279

−9

2 strokes

Peter Tupling

Muthaiga

1971

Ernie Jones

283

−5

Playoff

Russell Meek

Muthaiga

1970

Jan Dorrestein

273

−15

14 strokes

Malcolm Gregson Ronnie Shade Bob Tuohy

Muthaiga

1969

Maurice Bembridge (2)

279

−9

5 strokes

Bernard Gallacher Simon Hobday (a)

Muthaiga

1968

AGC

Maurice Bembridge

289

+1

2 strokes

Terry Westbrook

Karen

1967

FEC

Guy Wolstenholme

279

−9

4 strokes

Peter Thomson

Muthaiga

See also

Notes

References