Why Kenya Ladies Open is perfect getaway for Belgian golfer De Roey

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 31 – The Magical Kenya Ladies Open couldn’t have come at a better time for Belgian golfer Manon De Roey who says the annual tournament has provided her with a break from the cold weather in her native country.

De Roey is among 96 golfers who will be taking to the PGA Baobab golf course at Vipingo Ridge on Thursday to compete over four rounds for the coveted title currently held by German Esther Henseleit.

“I am from Belgium…very cold winter there so I am happy to be here in Kenya. I am on my eighth year on the Tour now but I will also be playing in the States. So that’s a new adventure coming but I am excited to be here now,” De Roey said.

The Belgian admitted that she had initially struggled to deal with the hot weather of Kilifi but has now adapted admirably and is raring to go for the competition.

“It is a little bit of a shock to my system coming to this weather because back home the temperatures were as low as 2˚C; so you can see it is a big difference. But then again I came a bit earlier to adapt to the weather…the first few days are really tough but I am sure that when the tournament begins I’ll be all ready to go,” she said.

Modest expectations

As pertains to her expectations of the leaderboard, De Roey prefers to keep her cards to the chest, noting that the tournament will simply be an opportunity to assess her game and rectify any weaknesses going forward.

“I think being the first event of the season, for most it is usually about assessing the things we worked on in the winter. I don’t know about my expectations but I hope for the best. I will continue on from the form I had last year,” she said.

The Belgian, moreover, gave a thumbs up to the organization of the four-day tournament and the PGA-accredited course, which she noted has become better with every edition.

“I have been here before in the previous two editions, I think. The course has gotten better through the years. I think this year it is in the best condition it has ever been. Last year, we did a little bit of the greens and it was very windy but now the course is looking in great condition so I am looking forward to a great time,” she said.

Spectators can purchase tickets to the tournament through the online platform www.ticketsasa.com which are retailing for KES 500 per day.