Heritage

Lessons for Kenya Open from UK

golf

Whatever the challenges, Kenya’s golf landscape will never be the same again. FILE PHOTO | NMG

I am at the European Tours’ BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, the UK, with a simple mission — to meet various teams on the European Tour as we prepare for the staging the 2019 Kenya Open as a full member of the “tour”.

The BMW PGA Championship traditionally marks the beginning of the British golfing season and is widely considered the European Tour’s top event with a total prize kitty of $7 million (Sh700 million).

This event is staged at the exclusive Wentworth Club, 48 kilometres southwest of London, home to three golf courses and the headquarters of the PGA European Tour.

Wentworth hosted the 1953 Ryder Cup and the HSBC World Match Play Championship from 1964 to 2007.

The 2018 edition of the BMW PGA Championship is the 64th edition of this flagship event of the European Tour.

The top players at Wentworth this week include Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland who was victorious here in 2014.

The 40-year-old Englishman Paul Casey will also be in the field alongside defending champion Swede Alex Noren who will be looking to join a small list of golfers who have successfully won back to back titles at Wentworth.

That list includes Nick Faldo, Luke Donald and Colin Montgomerie. In 2017 Noren’s 10-under par 62 enabled him to bridge a seven shot deficit and beat Italy’s Francesco Molinari. The Italian is back at Wentworth and he will be looking to make amends.

Other top names here include locals Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Ian Poulter, Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

And while I will try my best to watch some golf this weekend, perhaps follow the flamboyant Ian Poulter through 18 holes, my main task is to meet the media and staging teams and to understand just what it will take for Kenya to host an event as big as this. Will our golf courses have the space and infrastructure required?

Where shall we establish the massive media centre and TV crew back office?

Where shall we find 100 golf carts and will BMW in Kenya give us 100 VIP courtesy X5s?

Whatever the challenges, Kenya’s golf landscape will never be the same again.

Joining the same league as Wentworth and the BMW PGA Championship is a massive achievement for Kenyan sport.