David Wakhu and Samuel Njoroge both believe that a Kenyan will finally win the Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship by 2030.
The two are the only Kenyan players who made the cut at the recent European Tour double-header at the Karen Country Club — the Magical Kenya Open and Kenya Savannah Classic — with Njoroge progressing at the Open and Wakhu in the Classic.
On Monday, they could barely hide their excitement as they received Sh600,000 each for making the cut from Vision 2030 Director General Kenneth Mwige at a brief ceremony at Karen.
Vision 2030 had promised Sh50,000 for any Kenyan who made the cut at both the Open and Classic, Sh250,000 for the top-placed Kenyan, Sh200,000 for the first runner up and Sh100,000 for the second runner up.
“In the Kenya Open we had only Samuel Njoroge making the cut and so he gets Sh50,000 for making the cut and takes the whole prize money (Sh550,000),” explained Mwige.
“In the Kenya Savannah Classic, we had Wakhu as the only Kenyan to make the cut and he also gets the Sh50,000 for making the cut and the entire prize fund. We hope that this will give them a boost as they head into the next series, whether in Kenya or abroad.”
Mwige appealed to Kenyan corporates to jump in, pick players and sponsor them through the Safari Tour in the build-up to next year’s European Tour.
The Director General said Vision 2030’s sponsorship is not a one-off: “Vision 2030 is here for the long haul, and not just in golf, but in developing sports in general under the social and political pillar.
The implementer is the Ministry of Sports and we are fortunate that we have two very passionate people at the ministry — Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Amina Mohamed and Principal Secretary Joe Okudo — and all we are doing is helping in institutionalising support.”
It was a rewarding two weeks for Kenya Railway Golf Club’s Njoroge and Golf Park’s Wakhu who, besides the Vision 2030 windfall, also earlier received Sh100,000 each from Johnnie Walker, presenting sponsors of the Open.
Njoroge, 26, finished 77th in the Open with level-par 284, earning about Sh293,000 from the European Tour’s prize purse, while Wakhu banked about Sh454,000 from the Tour for finishing the Savannah Classic at position 56 on seven-under-par 277.
Both players believe time for a Kenyan to win the half-century-old Open is round the corner.
“Yes, there is a possibility… I was there, but didn’t have the wheels to keep pushing,” said Wakhu, 36.
“But looking at how we have been supported by Vision 2030 is unbelievable… this is the first time we are seeing such kind of sponsorship and support to enable the local players.
“I know it’s a tall order but we promise them that by 2030, a Kenyan will have won the Kenya Open and rested this case — we have to achieve that goal and it’s doable.”
Njoroge concurred, and was more confident.
“I will win it,” he said.
“The money I’ve been awarded today I will invest in my game, the first thing being the hiring of a coach and purchase of equipment, and then I will focus and I know I will win the Open,” added Njoroge, featuring for the first time in the Magical Kenya Open as a professional. BY DAILY NATION
