Whats On this Week: Life-changing opportunities await ‘journeyman' players at the DP World Tour in Kenya
This is the ninth tournament of the 42-event Race to Dubai season, and with just three counting tournaments remaining in the International Series mini-Order of Merit, there's plenty to look forward to – including two upcoming events in South Africa that will complete the Series.
Haotong Li (China), the recent winner of the Commercial Masters Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club, is one of the players in top form.
Alongside him is 24-year-old Wilco Nienaber (RSA), who won last week's NTT Data Pro-Am on the newly rebranded HotelPlanner Tour (formerly the Challenge Tour) – a change that may still be a bit tricky for many to wrap their heads around.
Nienaber shot impressive rounds of 60, 66, 66, and 70, finishing with a 27-under-par score of 262 to win by seven shots.
Regarded as one of the most talented golfers worldwide, Nienaber is certainly a player to watch this week, throughout the year, and beyond.
Dubai-based Guido Migliozzi (ITA) and Spain's Adrian Otaegui, playing under the UAE flag, are also among the standouts, as well as Eugenio Chacarra (Spain), formerly with LIV Golf, who has received an invitation to play.
Another exciting newcomer to keep an eye on is Wenyl Ding (China), who turned pro after the 2024 Asian Amateur Championship in Japan. Ding has made a strong start to his professional career and could make waves at this event.
With 19 Kenyan players in the field, including 13 who've earned National Spots through Category 8 of the DP World Tour's Conditions of Entry, this tournament is particularly special for the host country.
This week offers 'journeyman' players a chance to shine and potentially secure their first victory. For many, this tournament could be the springboard to a life-changing opportunity. As the DP World Tour's mantra reminds us, 'It's all about playing opportunities.'
All five recent winners of this event are also in the field, marking its return to the DP World Tour schedule:
2019: Guido Migliozzi (ITA)
2021: Justin Harding (RSA)
2022: Ashun Wu (CHN)
2023: Jorge Campillo (SPA)
2024: Darius Van Driel (NLD)
Upcoming Events:
PGA Tour
Thursday, February 20 – Sunday, February 23, 2025
Mexico Open at VidantaWorld
Venue: Vidanta, Vallarta, Mexico
Purse: $7 million
DP World Tour
Thursday, February 20 – Sunday, February 23, 2025
Magical Kenyan Open
Venue: Muthaiga GC, Nairobi, Kenya
Purse: $2.5 million
LPGA
Thursday, February 20 – Sunday, February 23, 2025
HONDA LPGA Thailand
Venue: Siam Country
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
3 days ago
- Al Etihad
MENA Tour revives in bump for regional golfers
15 Aug 2025 01:05 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)The MENA Golf Tour is set to return later this year after a brief hiatus, with 12 events lined up on its revival since the 2022-23 season. Making the announcement was the newly appointed Chairman and Commissioner of the Tour, Keith Waters, an industry veteran who is set to significantly elevate the Tour's status and former DP World Tour Chief Operating Officer and Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) brings over 40 years of expertise. He was instrumental in founding the OWGR in 2004 and developing the DP World Tour while still serving the OWGR as a board member.'I'm delighted to be involved in the relaunch of the MENA Golf Tour. We're pleased the MENA Golf Tour will remain an eligible Official World Golf Ranking tour as well as prize money of $100,000 per event,' said Waters. 'Each tournament will be contested over 54 holes, featuring a 36-hole cut to the top 60 players and ties, with the winner taking home $18,000.'The relaunched 2025/2026 MENA Golf Tour season will feature a 12-event schedule, commencing in Portugal. The opening event will follow a Qualifying School in November designed specifically for non-exempt in 2011, the MENA Golf Tour remains the only OWGR-recognised circuit headquartered in the Middle East, providing vital opportunities for professional golfers from the region and around the globe.'This Tour has tremendous potential and serves as a crucial pathway for golfers, not just from the Middle East, but internationally,' said Waters. 'We have already seen success stories such as Robert MacIntyre, who progressed from the MENA Golf Tour to winning prestigious titles like the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA TOUR and the Genesis Scottish Open on the DP World Tour.'MacIntyre, second on the European Ryder Cup ranking, said, 'The MENA Golf Tour opened doors, taught me how to win, and prepared me for the challenges of the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR. I'm excited to see it return and give the next generation of players the same opportunities I had.' From 2011, the MENA Tour has been a beacon of light on the greens of the UAE and wider geographical area for regional golfers. After a blip with a season missed in 2018, the Tour continued before the pandemic wiped out the 2021 season. On its second restart, the MENA Tour gave way to LIV Golf in a strategic decision, keeping the OWGR ranking points in mind.
Dubai Eye
3 days ago
- Dubai Eye
Mena Golf Tour returns with Keith Waters at helm
The MENA Golf Tour is set to return later this year, with former DP World Tour Chief Operating Officer and Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) board member Keith Waters appointed as Chairman and Commissioner. The addition of Waters, who brings over 40 years of expertise developing the DP World Tour and was instrumental in founding the OWGR in 2004, is set to significantly elevate the Tour's status and influence. Established in 2011, the MENA Golf Tour remains the only OWGR-recognised circuit headquartered in the Middle East, providing vital opportunities for professional golfers from the region and around the globe. 'I'm delighted to be involved in the relaunch of the MENA Golf Tour,' said Waters. 'This Tour has tremendous potential and serves as a crucial pathway for golfers, not just from the Middle East, but internationally. We have already seen success stories such as Robert MacIntyre, who progressed from the MENA Golf Tour to winning prestigious titles like the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA TOUR and the Genesis Scottish Open on the DP World Tour.' MacIntyre, currently second on the European Ryder Cup ranking, said: 'The MENA Golf Tour opened doors, taught me how to win, and prepared me for the challenges of the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR. I'm excited to see it return and give the next generation of players the same opportunities I had.' "We're pleased the MENA Golf Tour will remain an eligible Official World Golf Ranking tour as well as prize money of $100,000 per event," said Waters. "Each tournament will be contested over 54 holes, featuring a 36-hole cut to the top 60 players and ties, with the winner taking home $18,000." The relaunched 2025/2026 MENA Golf Tour season will feature a 12-event schedule, commencing in Portugal. The opening event will follow a Qualifying School in November designed specifically for non-exempt players.
The National
4 days ago
- The National
UAE announces 2025 school calendar for public and private schools
The UAE school and universities calendar for the 2025-2026 academic year has been announced. The calendar, which applies to all public and private schools and universities in the UAE, sets unified dates for the start of the academic year, the end of the three terms and end of term breaks. The new structure was announced separately by the Ministry of Education, for schools, and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, for universities. August 25 marks the start of the academic year, with the end of the school year pencilled in for July 3, 2026. The winter break will be from December 8 to January 4, 2026. Spring break will be from March 16 to March 29. For private schools in Sharjah, the spring break will be from March 16 to March 22. Mid-term breaks The new calendar also specifies mid-term breaks for public and private schools. These run from: October 13-19, 2025 February 11-15, 2026 May 25-31, 2026 Building social cohesion Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education, said the new calendar serves as a strategic national tool, reinforcing both educational quality and social cohesion. She also noted that consistent holiday dates will enable community, cultural and tourism entities to align their programmes with the academic schedule, strengthening the link between education and society. The ministry has allowed private schools that do not follow the government's curriculum to schedule mid-term breaks in October and February, with each break not exceeding five consecutive days. These breaks must remain within the specified months and cannot be extended or shifted, ensuring alignment with the national calendar while accommodating schools' operational needs. The ministry also stressed that all schools must follow the approved calendar, including holding final assessments or completing curriculum requirements in the last week of each term, to ensure pupils attend until the last school day.
