Will the Kenyan dream finally tee-off at Karen?

Although the Karen Country Club course has been more kind to local professionals going by the results of the several Kenya Open events staged there, the Kenyan pros are all the same expected to face an equally tough challenge from South Africans who are the majority in the 2018 KCB Karen Masters whose first round is set for Thursday morning.

Save for Jacob Okello’s second place finish in 1998 and 13th overall finish by Anil Shah and the late Peter Njiru, that has basically been the best at the par 71 Muthaiga course where the Kenya Open was born in 1967. Even in the local events held at Karen, the Kenyans have been able to produce a higher number of players in the second round cut.

Just a week ago, 50-year-old Dismas Indiza fired eight under par 280 with an impressive combination of 66, 74, 68, 72 to beat David Wakhu by one shot, in the “Road to Karen" series held to select Kenya’s team for the KCB Karen Masters being held for the first time under the Sunshine Tour.

Indiza's score was 10 shots clear of other players like Mohit Mediratta, John Wangai both from Sigona and Muthaiga’s Ganeev Giddie. These five plus others like Riz Charania, South African-based Stefan Andersen, who is a member of the Sunshine Tour, are Kenya’s main hopes in this $150,000(Sh15 million) event which brings together players from 17 different countries.

Internationally, both Indiza and Jacob Okello have made the a 10 finish several times in the Kenya Open.

“My golf has been getting where I really wanted it to be, and I hope I can keep it that way until the Karen Masters. I want to play well at Karen which is more forgiving than Muthaiga," said Wakhu after the final leg of the “Road to Karen".

Indiza, the most experienced pro and a former member of the Sunshine Tour, has been very silent about his game and expectations, though it will not come as a surprise if he takes the ‘Blue Jacket’ plus the top prize of Sh2.4 million. Four of the country’s leading amateurs Daniel Nduva, John Karichu, Edwin Mudanyi and top junior Mutahi Kibugu will be in Kenya’s contingent of 36.

South Africa-based Nduva, who is both the Kenya Amateur Match Play and Kenya Open Strokeplay champion, missed the cut at Muthaiga during the Open.Nduva and Mudanyi skipped last weekend’s Coast Open to focus on the KCB Karen Masters and will be interesting to see how they perform this weekend.