Kenya Open holds junior golf clinic

Over 50 children aged between five to 18 years attended a golf clinic organized by the Kenya Open Golf Limited at Karen Country Club on Friday as part of the build -up for the 2019 Magical Kenya Open to held at Karen Country Club from March 14 to 17.

The event coincided with the last event of the Safari Tour series which got under way on Sunday as part of a series of activities planned to help ignite grassroots golf in Kenya in the run up to the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Tournament.

It was the second junior golf clinic to be hosted by Barclays alongside the Safari Tour series organized by the Kenya Open Golf Limited (KOGL) as the bank continues its commitment to develop and promote golf among youth in Kenya.

The event comes just days after Absa Group, Barclays Kenya’s parent company,announced an investment of Sh220 million in the Kenyan Open over the next twoyears, the biggest sponsorship deal from a private sector corporate in the tournament’s 51-year history. This year’s Kenya Open golf tournament will be part of the European Tour’s “Road to Dubai’’ series.

The golf clinics were conducted in partnership with the Junior Golf Foundation and target junior golfers as well as Barclays Junior Eagle account holders with the aim of nurturing golfing talent and inspire the next generation of players. The clinics are also open to amateurs and anyone interested to learn about the sport.

Speaking during the clinic, Barclays Kenya Marketing and Corporate Relations Director Caroline Ndungu reinforced the bank’s commitment to continue supporting the growth and development of young people, cognisant of the role they must play in the creation of a better Kenya.

“In the build up to the main tournament, we have been conducting clinics for our junior golfers and amateurs as part of the Safari Tour series, and we will be working with stakeholders in the golfing fraternity to develop a long-term programme that can help nurture golfing talent from grassroots at a young age,” Ndungu said.

 “As a business, and as we transition from Barclays to Absa, we have a strong resolve to be an active force for good in the societies in which we operate and we will there-fore continue investing in programmes such as these, which encourage the next generation to pursue their dreams in whatever areas they choose.”

The Safari Tour, which have been held across the country, culminate in this year’s Kenya Open Golf Championship which is expected to attract quality international players. Barclays has sponsored the Safari Tour Series to the tune of Sh3 million. In addition to this milestone, the KOGL has announced a Euros 1.1 Million (about Sh126 million) prize kitty for the 2019 Kenya Open, double the total prize money from last year’s tournament which marked the championship’s 50th anniversary.

The event is expected to further boost the country’s sports tourism offering as a result. “Riding on the successes and lessons of last year, we will work with KOGL and other partners to ensure that we make this year’s tournament not just an event for golf lovers but a social event that will also attract families, youth, both Kenyans as well as visiting tourists,” Ndungu said.

Absa’s association with sports sponsorship is long-standing. Absa has been the official sponsor of one of the continent’s biggest football tournament - the Absa Premiership League since 2007, which has seen the growth and development of local and foreign football players and coaches within the league. Absa also currently sponsors the Absa Cape Epic, an exhilarating eight-day off-road mountain bike stage race that takes place annually in South Africa’s Western Cape Province.