The DP World Tour (European Tour) is headed to Kenya this weekend for the Magical Kenya Open in Nairobi. This event was founded in 1967 as an associate event on the Far East Circuit. It then became an important event on the Safari Circuit, a collection of tournaments in East and West Africa that lasted into the 1990s. The tournament found its current home on the European Tour in 2019.
The Kenya Open will be played over 72 holes in a traditional individual stroke play format. The prize fund is $2.75 milliion, with the winner picking up $450,000.
Event Information
This event has always been held near Nairobi, either at Muthaiga Golf Club or Karen Country Club. This will be the first time that Karen Country Club has hosted in five years, and the defending champion is South African golfer Jacques Kruyswijk.
The championship course at Karen Country Club is set at a 7,056-yard, par-70 course.
2026 Magical Kenya Open Odds
2026 Kenya Open odds to win with BetXchange:
- Angel Ayora – 11/1
- Triston Lawrence – 21/1
- Hennie du Plessis – 25/1
- Calllum Hill – 25/1
- Danil Bradbury – 30/1
- Ewen Ferguson – 30/1
Some of the bigger hitters on the DP World Tour are skipping this event. Patrick Reed has won two of the past three tournaments, but he won’t be taking part in Nairobi. Other tour winners this season missing from the list of starters include South African Jayden Schaper, second in the Race to Dubai Rankings, and Spaniard David Puig.
2026 Magical Kenya Open Leading Contenders
Hennie du Plessis is an interesting option this weekend. The South African feels like he is well overdue for a win on this tour, and with some of the star names missing, this could be his chance to strike. An injury robbed Du Plessis of 18 months of his career, but a sensational stint on the Sunshine Tour saw him step back up to the European stage.
He has improved in every start this year, finishing T16 and then T15 in the previous two events. Du Plessis has put himself in range to win by being in the Top 10 on Sunday multiple times this year; a strong finish is all he has been missing.
German Freddie Schott returns to the tour for the first time since winning in Bahrain earlier this month. At 80/1, he is surely worth a look at a Top 10 or Top 20 finish, given he has winning form in his locker this season.
If you want to back a local golfer to win, then Njoroge Kibugu can be had at 550/1 with NetXchance to become the first Kenyan to win the Kenya Open.
2026 Magical Kenya Open Prediction
The timing is right, and the field is right for Du Plessis to grab that first DP World Tour win. Expect strong competition from the likes of Angel Ayora, Triston Laerence, and 35/1 shot Mikael Loindberg, but Du Plessis will finally put a strong Sunday together and gut out a win.
Pick: Hennie du Plessis – 25/1
Longshot Pick: Veer Ahlawat – 180/1
You would always back a golfer who finished 3-3-1-6-1-3-4-3 in his last events. You would also think those numbers belonged to Scottie Scheffler, not Veer Ahlawat. Sure, the standard of competition on the PGA Tour of India is low, but Ahlawat has to be worth a look, especially when he is 24/5 to finish in the Top 20.
