Ahead of the 50th edition of the Barclays Kenya Open, we look at the key figures that have made the east African event one of the European Challenge Tour’s most famous and cherished institutions.
1967– the date of the first edition of the Barclays Kenya Open. The event, first won byEngland’s Guy Wolstenholme, has since been held every year barring1973and2003in the country’s capital,Nairobi.
26– the number of years that the Kenya Open has been a Challenge Tour tournament. After first joining the tour in1991, the Challenge Tour has hosted26editions of the tournament, except for in1994 (when the event was played on a different tour)and2003 (when the event was cancelled).
17– the number ofEnglishwinners of the tournament, the most by any country. A total of13 nationalities have tasted success in Kenya, withSouth AfricaandScotland both onfive titles,Irelandonfourtitles, theNetherlands,Wales,SpainandArgentina onthree, whileSwedenis ontwoandNorthern Ireland,Switzerland,ZimbabweandItalyall boastonetitle apiece.
3– the most wins by any one player in Kenya Open history.England’s Maurice Bembridgetriumphed in1968,1969and1979. The only other player to have won in Kenya more than once is theNetherlands’ Jan Dorrestein, who lifted the title in1970and1973.
3 – the number of players who have won the Kenya Open before going on to win a Major. They areSeve Ballesteros(who won the Kenya Open in1978before going on to win five Major titles),Ian Woosnam(who won in Kenyafiveyears before his1991Masters Tournament victory) andTrevor Immelman (who triumphed in Kenyaeightyears before winning at Augusta in2008).
2– the number of players who have won in Kenya and have then gone on to captain Europe in The Ryder Cup –Ballesteros(a winning captain in1997) andWoosnam (a winning captain in2006).
10–BallesterosandWoosnamare alsotwooften players who have won in Kenya before going on to play in The Ryder Cup. Ballesterosmadeeightappearances in the biennial match,Woosnamalso represented Europe eighttimes, whileBrian BarnesandKen Brown– both winners of the Kenya Open in the early 1980s, havesixandfive Ryder Cup appearances to their names respectively. Kenya championsBembridge,José María CañizaresandEammon Darcyall have four appearances to their names, while Irish golf legendChristy O’Connor Jnr has teed it up for Europe twice.Edoardo Molinari and Brian Waitesmade their solitary Ryder Cup appearances in2010 and 1983 respectively.
41– this year will be the41sttime thatMuthaiga Golf Clubhas held the Kenya Open.
9– the number of times that neighbouringKaren Golf Clubhas hosted the Kenya Open.
64– the course record atKaren Golf Club, shot byFrance’s Joël Stalterin2016.
61– the course record atMuthaiga Golf Club, achieved by home favouriteJacob Okelloin the2008 PGK Masters.
2nd – the best result by aKenyan player in their home open. In1998Okello narrowly lost out in a three-hole play-off to eventual championRicardo Gonzalez, who made a par at the 13thhole at Muthaiga Golf Club, whileOkellomade bogey.
21–Okello will also make history this year when he tees it up for the 21stin the Kenya Open – the most appearances by any player.
33 – the record number of Kenyan players competing in a single edition of their home open since it became a Challenge Tour event, a feat that was achieved in2013.
24– the difference between the highest and lowest winning scores in Kenya Open history. WhenBembridgetriumphed in1968 afive over parscore was good enough for victory, while in2002 Lee Jameswas an outstanding19 under par when he won his second Challenge Tour title.
