T-OFF (ISSUE15) OCT - DEC 2019 | Page 5

LADIES TOUR Magical Kenya admitted to the elite Ladies European Tour Vipingo Ridge course F ollowing the inclusion Magical Kenya Ladies Open in the Ladies European Tour, LET, calendar, the Mombasa event will become one of the most lucrative rounds on the ladies circuit. It is befitting that the inaugural event to be held from 4 th to 7 th December will be the season finale in a schedule that cuts across four continents. Kenya has signed an initial a three- year contract with LET. There has been an intensive multi- agency lobbying to have Kenya included on the calendar. This may be attributed to the level of development and interest in the sport going by the long standing success of Kenya Open. Kenya becomes only the third country in Africa, behind South Africa and Morocco to host the prestigious ladies round. “Our long-term vision of bringing women’s professional golf to Kenya is finally becoming a reality. We are always striving to find new destinations for the Ladies European The 72-hole stroke play competition that will bring together top 96 players on the circuit is tipped to inspire more women to take up the sport and awaken their potential to play professionally. Tour and the Kenyan Coast will be a very memorable one for all players, their guests and TV spectators worldwide,” Dirk Glittenberg, Managing Director of U.COM Event, LET organizers disclosed. With a generous sponsorship package of about Kshs 45 million, Magical Kenya Open ranks among the most attractive rounds on LET. The Investec South African Women’s Open has a Kshs 12 million purse while the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco sponsorship stands at Kshs 45.8 million. The richest round on LET is the AIG Women’s British Open at Kshs 367 million closely followed by Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open which has a fund of Kshs150 million. The 72-hole stroke play competition that will bring together top 96 players on the circuit is tipped to inspire more women to take up the sport and awaken their potential to play professionally. Coming hot on the heels of a revamped Kenya Open and Karen masters, the government is using the event to position Kenya as a leading golf destination. The event will be broadcasted live across the globe to millions of viewers. Plans to include the Kenya round which will be played at Vipingo Ridge were crystalized early this year when 13 top women pros visited the coastal city enroute Australia after taking part in the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open in United Arab Emirates. Organizers are optimistic that the top ranked players who were part of the January party that played in a highly successful exhibition Pro-