This year’s edition of the prestigious Kenya Ladies Open has received sponsorship worth Ksh.250M from East African Breweries .
The sponsorship a statement said it ‘seeks to reaffirm its commitment to championing women’s inclusivity in sports’.
The fourth edition of the Ladies Open is set to be held from 8th-11th February 2024 at the Baobab Course, Vipingo Ridge, Kilifi County. The Kenya Ladies Open is also a leg on the elite Ladies European Tour (LET) circuit .
The 72-hole stroke play competition will be the season-opener for the 2024 LET calendar and will feature 108 players with Kenya fielding a total of 6 players.
The winner will pocket €300,000 approximately Kshs 52.4 million in prize money.
Among the notable participants who have signed up for the tournament are: Germany’s Alexandra Försterling who won the 2023 Swiss Ladies Open and the 2023 Mallorca Ladies Open; the 2023 German Masters champion Kristýna Napoleaová from Czech Republic; 2023 MKLO runner-up Alice Hewson from England; third-place finisher April Angurasaranee from Thailand; and last year’s hole-in-one winner , Swedish Lisa Pettersson.
Naomi Wafula will be leading Kenya’s charge in the tournament.
The tournament will be preceded by a Pro-Am event set for 7th February where Kenya’s amateur golfers will team up with the professionals for a friendly round before the main event.
After the Vipingo leg the European ladies tour will head to Saudi Arabia before going to Morocco for the Lalla Meryem Cup.
Jane Karuku, EABL Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director said the partnership is part of the company’s agenda to mainstream inclusivity in sports.
“This sponsorship goes beyond a financial commitment: it is a testament to EABL’s deep-rooted dedication to championing the cause of inclusion and diversity and therefore our support for the 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open is a strategic move to amplify the voices and celebrate the talents of women in golf and beyond,” said Mrs Karuku.
