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News

Kenya: Cut-Throat Display Awaits as Ksh 52 Million Up for Grabs in Magical Kenya Ladies Open

todayJanuary 12, 2024 2

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Nairobi — For the fourth year running, the season- opening Ladies European Tour (LET) event will return to the picturesque Vipingo Ridge PGA Baobab course and is sure to treat fans to some exhilarating displays of golfing artistry.

As was the case last year, the 2024 season will tee-off in North Coast Vipingo with the crème de la crème of LET, rookies, past champions and selected top local golfers returning to the PGA accredited course for one the most popular leg on the schedule, the 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open (MKLO).

Slated for February 8-11, the MKLO has attracted some of LET’s finest including India’s Aditi Ashok who won the Kenyan leg last year, ending Germany’s Esther Henseleit’s two-year dominance.

Besides giraffes, rhinos and zebras, a field of 108 players will take to Kenya vying for their share of Ksh52 million (€300,000) across four days of strokeplay action. This first event of the 2024 LET season will be televised around the world, with broadcast details available in the coming weeks.

Vipingo has -by and large -established itself as one of the most desired golfing destinations across Africa by the visitors largely because of the successful three editions hosted there since 2021.

-Golf Safari Experience —

In addition to golfing, Vipingo Ridge embraced a unique initiative known as the ‘Winning Space for Wildlife’ project in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service which will serve as a bonus for the visiting LET pros during the season-opener.

This conservation program offers an unforgettable living and golf safari experience on Kenya’s coast.

The Vipingo Ridge wildlife team have always remained committed to continue maintaining an ideal safe sanctuary for vulnerable wildlife populations, as well as creating an animal education environment to teach young students from the local community about wildlife, which would otherwise be geographically inaccessible.

Meanwhile, 2024 promises to be yet another exciting year on LET as the circuit prepares to stage 31 events across five continents for a total prize fund of over Ksh 5.8 billion (€34 million)

-What’s new in 2024?-

After a one-year hiatus the LET will be returning to Australia in 2024 for two unique events on the schedule.

From March 29-31, the circuit heads to Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club in New South Wales for the NSW Women’s Open – an event previously won by Solheim Cup star Maja Stark and England’s Meghan MacLaren.

One week later, it’s a return to Bonville Golf Resort for the Australian Women’s Classic, the site of MacLaren’s last victory on the LET.

The LET will be heading to Korea for the very first time in 2024 for the second of five Aramco Team Series presented by PIF events of the season. With the Seoul venue still to be confirmed, the exciting tournament will be played between 10-12 May and will be televised around the world.

— The Majors-

The Amundi Evian Championship and AIG Women’s Open will once again be part of the LET schedule in 2024 with the two prestigious events taking place within a mouthwatering summer of golf.

After storming to domestic glory in 2023, Celine Boutier will be defending her Evian crown between 11-14 July at Evian Resort Golf Club.

The AIG Women’s Open then returns to the Old Course at St Andrews from 22-25 August in one of the most highly anticipated events of the year.

-The 2024 Solheim Cup-

As if the 2023 Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin wasn’t exciting enough, fans now only have to wait another nine months for the next edition to come around with the biennial tournament returning to even years in 2024.

After Team Europe retained the cup last time out following a dramatic 14-14 tie in Spain, Suzann Pettersen and Stacy Lewis will once again be captaining their sides as the tournament heads to Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia, USA, between 13-15 September.

The Solheim Cup is the women’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup, following a similar format every two years.

First played in 1990, the United States has the most Solheim Cup titles, emerging victorious on 10 occasions.

Contested by teams representing Europe and the United States, Solheim Cup is named after the Norwegian-American golf club manufacturer Karsten Solheim, who was a driving force behind its creation.

-Who is teeing up in 2024?-

Most of the same faces will be returning in 2024 as both global stars and budding rookies look to perform well and make their mark in the season long LET rankings.

Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab sensationally secured the Race to Costa del Sol and Rookie of the Year double last time out, and the Thai star will be looking to continue climbing up the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings in 2024 as she competes on the both the LET and LPGA.

Past champions will be plentiful in 2024, core members like India’s Diksha Dagar, Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson, Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz, Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall and Netherlands’ Anne van Dam ready for another full season of action.

With the Solheim Cup on the agenda this year, expect to also see Pettersen’s European arsenal compete on the LET throughout 2024 as they look to confirm their places in the team once again.

As for new faces, the rookie race should again produce plenty of drama after a host of exciting first year graduates made it through the LET Access Series (LETAS) and Lalla Aicha Q-school to secure their 2024 cards.