It was a big day at the Magical Kenya Open and it finally was for Casey Jarvis. Everyone in the fight for victory was seeking their first win on the DP World Tour, and it was the young 22-year-old South African who came out on top with a sensational performance. There’s no objection to be made. He played the best. He was notable off the tee and outstanding with the irons and the putter. This is demonstrated by his round of 62 strokes, the best of the day alongside Matthew Jordan at the Karen Country Club in Nairobi. He signed a card of eight under par, including an eagle on the 18th, when he already had the victory well in hand, to finish with a total of -25.
As well as things went for Jarvis, it was the opposite for Ángel Ayora (-17). The player from Malaga was leading a DP World Tour tournament for the first time in his career on a Sunday and never quite found his comfort zone. He wasn’t sharp off the tee, was especially erratic with the irons, and the putter didn’t help him as much as it should have when he needed it most. Perhaps it was the best part of his game today, although not enough to celebrate.
As we say, it’s the first time he’s been in this situation, and there’s no choice but to analyse what happened and extract the necessary lessons to keep learning. If there’s one thing we can be sure of, it’s that Ayora will do it. His attitude was impeccable, but he didn’t manage to hit the shots he had been making the rest of the week. Really, the only clear birdie chance he left himself throughout the round by hitting a good iron from the fairway was on the 17th hole, after the second suspension due to a storm.
The round went awry very early with a double bogey on the 3rd hole due to a series of errors. The tee shot wasn’t good, the second shot, played low to avoid the trees, wasn’t precise either, and the third shot was poor. He didn’t even hit the green, he overshot it. The approach hit the flagstick but came out too strong, and he needed two putts to finish. From there, it was an uphill battle, and he wasn’t able to generate the birdie opportunities needed to turn things around. Again, the best thing was his attitude. At no point did he give up, although mentally it was a tough round.
Ayora ended up delivering a par round, 70 strokes. Only four players recorded scores over par all day, the best indication that it wasn’t the day for the Marbella native. He finished in eighth position. It wasn’t a good Sunday, but that shouldn’t overshadow another good week for the young player trained at La Cañada. Since last year’s British Masters, the start of the Back Nine, he has played 19 tournaments and has ten top 10 finishes. He’s getting close, and there’s no doubt that it will eventually come his way.
While nothing was going right for Ángel, Jarvis was on fire. His start was explosive, with four birdies in the first six holes, three under par. He marked his territory there and delivered an almost decisive blow with a spectacular eagle on the 12th, hitting the green in one and sinking a great putt from about eight metres. Only Davis Bryant really challenged him. The 26-year-old American, who isn’t very long off the tee but has really accurate irons, made three birdies on holes 6, 7, and 8 to withstand Jarvis’s initial surge, and then got within one stroke with a massive birdie on the 16th. It seemed like Jarvis might falter, but he resolved it like a champion, finishing with birdie-eagle on holes 17 and 18. There’s no better way to break through.
Jarvis is only 22 years old but has been a professional for four years. He had been knocking on the door for some time. Today he showed the determination and composure that he lacked on other occasions, although his swing still raises some consistency doubts due to the tremendous movement he makes on the downswing. Be that as it may, much credit for this first victory on a day that wasn’t easy, with a double interruption of more than an hour due to a thunderstorm. At no point did he lose concentration and managed to maintain the same level of play.
As for the other Spaniards, Jorge Campillo and Sebas García finished in the top 20, while Manu Elvira secured a good top 25. Points that end up being useful for many things at the end of the season.
