Defending champion Harding easily the man to beat at Muthaiga
Syme Connor in action during the pro-arm event on the eve of the 20222 Magical Kenya Open at Muthaiga Club on March 2, 2022.
What you need to know:
- My wild cards, with an outside chance of victory are Zimbabwe’s Robinson Chinhoi – he has continued to dominate the Safari Tour and has the skills to really play well.
- Kenya’s coast-based golfers Daniel Nduva and Adel Balala could very easily write a fairy tale at Muthaiga – they are very long off the tee, they have youth on their side and I have no doubt they will have the full support of the Kenyan fans.
The 2022 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship, presented by Absa, tees off at the Muthaiga Golf Club from Thursday to Sunday.
This will be the 53rd staging of the Kenya Open that was first played in 1967, joined the European Challenge Tour in 1991 and the DP World Tour (formerly known as the European Tour) in 2019.
From its humble beginnings in 1967, the Magical Kenya Open now offers a prize kitty of 1.75 million Euros (Sh223.4m) and 2,750 DP ranking points, making it an attractive event on the DP World Tour.
So, who will win the 2022 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship?
Here are my predictions:
My top pick is defending champion Justin Harding of South Africa.
Harding was convincing at the 2021 edition held at the Karen Country Club where he produced four solid rounds of 66, 67, 64 and 66 for a tournament total of 21 under par to beat American Kurt Kitayama by two-strokes.
The 36-year-old Harding has played professional golf for 12 years and is currently ranked 98th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) in the world and 11th on the DP World Tour Ranking (DPWTR).
Harding finished tied for fourth at the Dubai Desert Classic in January, a tournament he led into the final round, ahead of players like Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, Sergio Garcia, Tyrell Hatton and Paul Casey. Harding finished T9 at the Ras al Khaimah Classic in early February.
It is this form that Harding brings to Muthaiga and that is why he is my choice to claim glory.
Interesting fact
Only one player in the history of the Kenya Open has won more than once or defended his title – that honour goes to England’s Maurice Bembridge who was victorious in 1968, 1969 and 1979.
Since then, no other player has won the event twice.
India’s Shubhankar Sharma is currently ranked fifth on the DTWTR and 161st on the OWGR; he is the highest ranked DT World Tour ranked player in the field this week.
Sharma finished T2 at the Dubai Desert Classic a few weeks ago, ahead of a very strong field. On his last visit to Kenya in 2021, Sharma missed the cut and he will be looking to better that performance and even win.
Sharma is not new to winning, having clinched the 2017 Johannesburg Open and the 2018 Maybank Championship,. Is it his time once more?
The 2021 Kenya Savannah Classic winner, South Africa’s Daniel Van Tonder is another of my top picks.
Van Tonder claimed his maiden Tour victory in Kenya beating Jazz Janewattananond in an exciting play-off at Karen Country Club.
He went on to win his eighth Sunshine Tour title at the South African Open in December 2021 and finished T43 at the Dubai Desert Classic and T20 at Ras al Khaimah.
Van Tonder has the drive and desire to win.
Speaking of South Africans, Dean Burmester, who is currently ranked 62nd on the DPWTR and 75th on the OWGR, is another top pick.
His aim in Muthaiga is simple, to win and move closer to the top-50 of the world, a ranking that gets him into the Majors.
Italy’s Lorenzo Gagli and Guido Migliozzi, both champions at the Kenya Open in 2018 and 2019 respectively will also be in the field at Muthaiga.
Gagli was victorious on the Muthaiga course and he will have fond memories of that 2018 tournament where he beat Jens Fahrbring in a play-off after they both finished with scores of 11-under par.
Migliozzi bagged his maiden DP World Tour victory in Kenya and he will be looking to repeat that feat this week.
Another Magical Kenya Open Champion, the 2015 winner, Haydn Porteous, South Africa, also has the pedigree to win.
Other players in the field worthy of mention are Jorge Campillo (Spain) Sami Valimaki (Finland), Steven Brown (England), Marcus Kinhult (Sweden) and China’s Ashun Wu.
All of these players have the required pedigree to win at Muthaiga.
My wild cards, with an outside chance of victory are Zimbabwe’s Robinson Chinhoi – he has continued to dominate the Safari Tour and has the skills to really play well.
Kenya’s coast-based golfers Daniel Nduva and Adel Balala could very easily write a fairy tale at Muthaiga – they are very long off the tee, they have youth on their side and I have no doubt they will have the full support of the Kenyan fans.
South Africa’s Toto Thimba was the winner of the 2019 KCB Karen Masters and he is back in Kenya hunting for another feather in his cap.
Expect large crowds from the Kenya Railway Golf Club supporting amateur player John Lejirma and pro Samuel Chege. The both both call Railway home.
