Nairobi — Justas Madoya, a seasoned Kenyan golf professional from Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort, is gearing up for the Magical Kenya Open, part of the DP World Tour.
Madoya, who made a European Tour cut in 2019, is excited to tackle the event after a robust season of back-to-back tournaments in the region.
"I'm thrilled to be heading into the Kenya Open," Madoya said. "We've had a great season, playing in tournaments like the Rwanda leg of the Sunshine Development Tour. The pros are shooting under par scores, which is a good sign going into the Kenya Open. It's a testament to the hard work we've put in, and I'm confident it'll pay off in the MKO."
Madoya believes his recent form will serve him well, but he's not relying on familiarity with the course.
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"Playing in Karen during the season finale of the SDT doesn't necessarily give us an advantage in the MKO," he said. "Course conditions will have changed by then, so it's a fresh start. The Europeans have had an advantage, though, playing around 40 events in a season, but we're ready to take them on and show our skills."
He's focused on his game and looking forward to the competition. "I'm feeling confident and ready to give it my all. It's going to be a tough tournament, but I'm up for the challenge. Bring it on!"
Madoya added, "The feeling is great, going into the MKO, for myself I would say I'm trying to come up. It's getting better and better as we inch closer to the big event. This season has been better because people have played in more than 20 events, and more than 10 guys have been shooting under par, which is 18 under, 14 under. The scores are looking good at the moment, and people are headed for great things, I must admit."
On whether knowing the tournament venue at Karen gives him an advantage, Madoya said, "I would say maybe just knowing the course, but not an advantage really, because the back tees are already been closed because of preparing for the MKO and we are playing from the front tees. And then again, the greens will not be the same as for the MKO. So you just need to prepare well, have your diet correct; and this time, I am glad we will have 25 days to diet and work on our mental facet of the game."
He continued, "It's not like before when you finish a tournament and go straight into the MKO, without rest to give your body some relief. In the Safari Tour, we played a few tournaments and then headed straight to MKO, Psychologically, it affected us because at MKO, you meet people who have done 40 tournaments in a calendar at a high level. So I would say 20 events are good, at least half of what tour pros do in a season."
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Madoya has played 27 events since the last MKO. "Since I turned pro, I have not played in as many tournaments. To play on DP World Tour (previously European Tour), you have to first play in the main Sunshine Tour. For us at the Kenya Open, we get the privilege to play as hosts, which is good. Next year's calendar of SDT, we will have more tournaments, which is good. The Sunshine Development Tour has helped Naomi Wafula and Njoroge Kibugu secure cards. It will make our players sharper."
