Nairobi — The stage is set for a thrilling Magical Kenya Open presented by Absa, as all six previous champions of the event's DP World Tour era return to Kenya for the epic battle!
For the first time since the tournament joined the DP World Tour in 2019, all the previous champions Jacques Kruyswijk (South Africa, 2025 ), Darius van Driel (Netherlands, 2024), Jorge Campillo (Spain, 2023), Ashun Wu (China, 2022), Justin Harding (South Africa, 2021) and Italian Guido Migliozzi (2019) will lock horns at the Karen Country Club which each one of them looking to seal the rare double.
The Magical Kenya Open has been a mainstay on the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) schedule since 2019, the same year Kenyans Simon Ngige and Jastas Madoya made historic cuts heading to the weekend finale.
The DP World Tour round has been hosted primarily at Muthaiga Golf Club, with the exception of 2019 and 2021, which were held at Karen Country Club.
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With focus now shifting to Karen, defending champion Kruyswijk will look to defend his title, having won his first DP Tour title with an incredible 18-under-par 266 last year.
He'll be joined by a host of high-riding tour pros who will be converging on the Karen course after a week's break on the International Swing.
Based on the DP World Tour's International Swing schedule for 2025 and 2026, there is a one-week break following the four-event Middle East stretch (ending with the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters) before the tour resumes with the Magical Kenya Open.
The one-week pause occurs after the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters (typically early to mid-February) and allows players to transition from the Middle East to Africa.
Harding, who achieved a 21-under-par total to win the 2021 Magical Kenya Open in Karen, will be among the star attractions.
His victory in 2021 was his second European Tour title. He returned to Kenya the following year (2022) but failed to defend his title at Muthaiga Golf Club.
The Magical Kenya Open will take place from February 19-22, at Karen Country Club, and promises to be a thrilling spectacle for golf enthusiasts.
Absa Bank Kenya's Managing Director and CEO, Abdi Mohamed, said the bank's continued investment in sports reflects its brand purpose in recognising the stories behind excellence, on and off the course.
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"At Absa, our purpose is Empowering Africa's Tomorrow Together...one story at a time. As such, we invest in sports as a platform where we see stories of excellence, resilience, and possibilities. Through our sponsorship, we are not just showcasing the game of golf; we are walking the journey with players, communities, and the entire sports ecosystem, while spotlighting Brand Kenya to the world," said Mr. Mohamed.
Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) boss CJ Wangai predicted cutthroat competition given the strong field of the visitors.
"MKO is a big stage where we are going to showcase our talent. As opposed to previous years, we have supporters who are coming on board to support us. Absa Bank sponsored the last two rounds of the Sunshine Development Tour (East Africa Swing) at Thika Greens and Karen, which were a good boost to the regional professionals," underscored Wangai.
"It's a positive beginning that we have had, at least for the last one year. Karen is a top-notch golf course. The maintenance is good, the greens are good, and the general layout is out of this world. It gives us a worthy platform, and I believe it will be a good year and a good tournament this time round."
