Michael Karanga tees off at Jordan Open

While national amateur golf events and club tournaments remain suspended because of the current weather conditions, Kenya’s amateur golfer Michael Karanga is away in Jordan for the 33rd Jordan Open Golf Championship.

Karanga, who jetted out on Tuesday morning, is among an international amateur field of 65 players invited for the event supported by the World Amateur Golf Rankings, Royal Ancient Golf Club of Scotland(R&A) and National Committee of Jordan.

Karanga was invited by the Jordan Golf Federation after his brilliant performance during the 2023 Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) series.

Karanga finished top of the KAGC series after winning 13 tournaments out of 27 events and the Ghana Open.

The Kiambu Golf Club-based Karanga had also been invited to an international event in Florida, USA, in April but failed to secure a travel Visa. He was due to tee off in the morning at the Ayla Golf Club in Aqaba, Jordan, where the event attracted players from the USA, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Serbia, Bahrain, United Kingdom, South Africa, Latvia, Lebanon, France, Qatar, Tunisia, Iraq, Kenya and of course hosts Jordan.

Saudi Arabia has entered the highest number of players, 23, while hosts Jordan will be represented by 17.

The field includes four ladies invited through the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) and four juniors (under 16 years), also entered through the WAGR rankings.

“I have never played golf in that part of the world, but I will give it my very best,” said Karanga, who said he had been preparing for the event by doing several rounds of practice before his departure on Tuesday.

Designed by the legendary Greg Norman, besides the 18-hole par 72 Championship course, Ayla Golf Club also hosts a par 27 nine-hole floodlit academy course.

It was completed in 2018.