Sunshine Tour ventures into Kenya for 2018 KCB Karen Masters
The Sunshine Tour will be going deeper into Africa in 2018 when the KCB Karen Masters will be played just outside Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi from 19 – 22 July at Karen Country Club.
The title sponsor of the $150,000 tournament is Kenya Commercial Bank, and that partnership substantially expands the Sunshine Tour’s reach into sub-Saharan Africa.
“We are really pleased that a partnership with Kenya Commercial Bank has given us this opportunity to expand the Sunshine Tour into fresh territory,” said Sunshine Tour Executive Director Selwyn Nathan. “Giving our members opportunities on an international stage is very exciting, and we believe the partnership will grow into the future.
KCB Marketing and Communication Director Angela Mwirigi highlighted the importance of the event in Kenyan sports circles by saying, “ The KCB Karen Masters remains our most visible vehicle to share the greatness of the sport. The tournament is on course to becoming the pre-eminent professional competition in East Africa. We expect a thrilling competition, and, hopefully, it will provide massive excitement for the fans.”
Speaking at the launch, Gary Todd, Tournament Director of the Sunshine Tour said, “Firstly, we’re excited to get this tournament going. Venturing into Kenya and partnering with Kenya Commercial Bank reaffirms what the Sunshine Tour is about. We’re going to make the KCM Karen Masters a hit on the 2018 schedule.”
Founded in 1937, Karen Country Club prides itself in being one of the oldest golf clubs in Kenya. A large part of the 18-hole course was built on the former coffee estate developed by the Danish pioneer, Karen Blixen, whose life and times were depicted in the lyrical film ‘Out of Africa’. Indeed, the shade trees from her coffee plantation still dominate parts of the golf course, 80 years after they were planted.
Karen Country Club has one of the finest golf courses in sub-Saharan Africa. The club has come a long way from the small, flat greens, to slightly larger greens to cope with higher everyday usage. The 25-million shillings in redesigning and remodeling all 18 greens has proven to be a substantial step in making Karen Country Club a first class golfing facility.
The course is a superbly maintained par 72 for men, and a challenging 6,341 metres (6,934 yards) in length from the championship tees.
