The kids are amazed by the giant bags that the caddies carry on their backs. They are chests full of treasures. It’s playtime. Absolute chaos. A fun chaos. The golf professionals mingle with children who have just come out of maths class. They take less time to devour their packed lunch than Red Bull does to make a pit stop. It’s pure happiness. They love sunglasses and taking photos with everyone. They seem like influencers. These should indeed be influencers because their joy is contagious.
It turns out that the practice range at the Karen Country Club, the Nairobi course hosting this week’s Magical Kenya Open, is located in a vacant lot next to a school playground. It’s literally attached. It’s barely separated by the frame of a door, without a door. The children are dressed in blue tracksuits. 100 metres from the maths class, a good handful of golf professionals are preparing to compete this week for a prize fund of $2,750,000. The practice range doesn’t have buggies with baskets collecting the balls. It’s artisanal. Club employees with buckets and their hands. This is Africa. It’s different. It’s an extraordinary contrast.
Alejandro Molina, a veteran Argentine caddie seasoned in a thousand battles, and now carrying the bag for his compatriot Andrés Gallegos, doesn’t miss the chance to show his patriotism. He makes a video with the children who don’t hesitate to shout Messi’s name at the top of their lungs. In Africa, they know about football.
The heavy rains have affected the tournament’s preparation. The Karen Country Club is one of the oldest in Kenya. It opened its doors in 1937. It’s on its way to 90 years. It’s a classic design, not very long, with small greens and its great defence is that they are usually very firm and undulating. This year it won’t be like that. As we said, it has rained a lot and they are receptive. No matter how much the wind blows, and a gale isn’t expected, it will be a week of low scores. It would be unusual for the winner not to go beyond -20.
The key is that the course is short and, moreover, it’s at altitude, so the ball flies even more. It’s a par 70 with only two par 5s, but there are two par 4s where everyone reaches in one, holes 10 and 12, and there are two other par 4s where many, the longest hitters, will also go for it in one: holes 1 and 8. Even on the 4th, one could go for the green, although there it will be up to each to measure if the risk is worth it, as a mistake could be significant if the shot fails.
This means there are many birdie opportunities out there. It’s true that there are also four holes with dangerous tee shots. Note: 2, 6, 13, and 17. If you’re not precise from the tee, the double bogey awaits like a lion lurking in the savannah. In any case, whoever goes straight this week, and there’s always someone inspired from the tee, will have the chance to score low. Then, of course, you have to understand the greens and get the feel of the grass around the greens for chipping, probably the great mystery of the week.
The Karen Country Club returns to the European circuit five years later, with the presence of twelve Spanish players: Quim Vidal, Rocco Repetto, Alex del Rey, Jorge Campillo, Ángel Ayora, Pablo Larrazábal, Alfredo García Heredia, Ángel Hidalgo, Adri Arnaus, Sebas García, Iván Cantero, and Manu Elvira. The three main absences are Nacho Elvira, Eugenio Chacarra, and Rafa Cabrera Bello. Beyond the Spaniards, the news is that Patrick Reed has decided to rest. The best-ranked world player and the only top 100 in the world is South African Thriston Lawrence. The second-best is the Spaniard Ángel Ayora.
