Wakhu among four Kenyan Pros sponsored by Absa Bank ahead of MKO

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 25 – Four Kenyan local golf professionals have been handed Ksh 200, 000 each by Absa Bank to prepare for the upcoming Magical Kenya Open slated to be held March 3-6 at the Muthaiga Golf Club.

Thika Sports Club’s Simon Ngige David Wakhu, who is a resident professional at Golf park, Mohit Mediratta from Sigona Golf Club and South Africa based Daniel Nduva whose club is Nyali are the golfers who benefited from the sponsorship.

The Ksh 3 million sponsorship will assist the Pros in meeting tournament costs such as registration, caddie payment and the provision of necessary items such as their shirts, gloves, and golf balls among other things.

Speaking during the sponsorship announcement, Absa Bank Kenya Ag. Marketing and Corporate Relations Director Moses Muthui stated that the sponsorship will go a long way in facilitating the Pros to effectively participate in the tournament and inspire a good performance by the team.

“As a bank, whose purpose is bringing possibilities to life, we stand behind our local Pros who have done extremely well to make it to the final entry list. We fully understand what these players need to achieve their ambitions in the right way, which is why we want to take it a step further by motivating them to give their best performance yet and fly the Kenyan flag even higher,” said Muthui.

In addition to the sponsorship, sponsored players have the opportunity to earn an additional Ksh 1,000,000 in bonuses based on their performance.

Absa will pay a player Ksh 200,000 if they make the cut, an additional Ksh 100,000 if they make the cut while in the top 20 and a bonus of Ksh 700,000 if any player finishes in the top 10.

Speaking on behalf of the professional players Medirrata thanked Absa for their support over the years and urged Kenyans to rally behind them as they prepare to compete in the tournament.

“We are grateful to Absa Bank for this invaluable support and promise to make the country proud in this tournament,” he said.

On his part Nduva welcomed the sponsorship noting that this is the first time he is playing at the Kenya Open as a Pro.

“We are excited about the opportunities that this sponsorship opens for us, and we are ready to post the best results ever as Team Kenya,” Nduva underscored. 

With a prize purse of Ksh 227.5 million ($2 million), the 2022 Magical Kenya Open draws over 150 golfers from Kenya and around the world, including eight Kenyan professionals, six Kenyan amateurs, and two regional players.