13 YEAR-OLD KENYAN GOLF CHAMPION TO PLAY ALONGSIDE PROFESSIONAL LADY GOLFERS
(Posted 29th January 2019)
This Friday and Saturday will see professional lady golfers, who feature on the Ladies European Tour, play two Pro-Ams on Vipingo Ridge’s PGA Baobab Course during their inaugural visit to Kenya.
With 13 professionals now confirmed to attend the event, more than 36 Kenyan golfers are scheduled to participate alongside them. Among these local players are 13-year-old Alyssa Jamal who earlier this month won Lady Captain’s Prize golf tournament at Nyali Golf and Country Club – an incredible feat for this young player beating participants with many more years of experience.
Jamal, who has already has a handicap of 8, is a promising junior athlete from Nyali Golf Club and Vipingo Ridge welcomes this younger generation to participate in such high-profile events, believing in the incredible part sport has to play in the development of Kenyan children and young adults.
Other notable local players include former Ladies National Golf Champion, Naomi Wafula. The 20 year-old, from Kitale Golf Club, has already enjoyed a sterling career despite her age, representing Kenya in golf throughout her teens. Last year, she won the Nyali Bowl at the Ladies Coast Open.
Mike Round Turner, General Manager at Vipingo Ridge stated “We look forward to welcoming these incredible young women and all the players involved to Vipingo Ridge later this week. It’s shaping up to be a fantastic event -one that we hope will showcase Kenya as a safe and quality destination for international sporting events.”
For more information about the event, please contact LET.
THE LADIES INVITATIONAL
On 01st and 02nd of February 2019, 13 Ladies European Tour (LET) professionals will make a special appearance in Kenya to play two Pro-Am events on Vipingo Ridge’s PGA Baobab course, ranked the country’s number one golf course by Top 100 Golf Courses. This will be the first time that professional lady golfers have come to East and Central Africa. The professional players will be on route from the Fatima Mubarak Ladies Open in Abu Dhabi to the Australian Ladies Classic Bonville and therefore will be making a stop in Kenya between tour events.
The Pro-Ams, which will see amateurs pair with the LET professionals, are scheduled to take place on 01st and 02nd February 2019 and are attracting Kenyan golfers, both male and female, to take part in this historic event.
All 13 LET players have ranked in the top 100 in the 2018 Order of Merit, with Florentyna Parker from England being the most famous in the field after three professional wins and representing Europe in the 2017 Solheim Cup in Des Moines, USA.
Parker placed 13th in the Order of Merit last year. Other players confirmed to attend are Noemi Jimenez Martin from Spain who finished 19th and Camilla Lennarth (Sweden) who was 23rd.
Vipingo Ridge, in collaboration with U.COM Event, is hosting both events and is proud to promote Kenyan golf and its unique golfing destinations to the world. Guy Moran, Head of Property and Development at The PGA, commented: “This event promises to be a triumph helping to put Kenyan golf on the map, especially by promoting ladies golf throughout the country and further afield. The PGA fully supports such activities and congratulates Vipingo Ridge, U.COM and partners for putting together a world-class Pro-Am at relatively short notice. We look forward to seeing many more of the same.”
VIPINGO RIDGE
Set among 2,500 acres of manicured gardens, a PGA golf course and wilder terrain, Vipingo Ridge is a secure gated community with panoramic views from the Indian Ocean in the east to the Chodari Hills in the west. This unique destination offers exceptional real estate opportunities or holiday rentals for shorter stays. And with Africa’s only PGA-accredited golf course featuring a meandering system of lakes and streams that runs throughout the championship-level 18 holes, this is the perfect setting for lovers of the game. https://www.vipingoridge.com Facebook @vipingoridge Twitter @vipingoridge Instagram @vipingo.ridge
U.COM Event
U.COM Event is hosting professional sports events with tens of thousands of spectators, as well as corporate events from New York to Tokyo.
The list includes events such as the ATP Tour Millennium Estoril Open or the Ladies European Masters. The three U.COM brands —U.COM Media, U.COM Event and U.COM Player— offer a wide range of professional event- and sports-related services.
Since 1997, U.COM is an international, independent, owner-managed agency with projects around the globe, committed to delivering the best service possible. The U.COM network works for national and international sports leagues, tours and athletes, in addition to media platforms and global brands. https://www.ucom.de
