Main Bet: Shubhankar Sharma 1pt each-way @ 40/1
A new venue for the DP World Tour this week as the Kenya Open, which only made its debut on the circuit in 2019, returns to Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi.
It's a venue that hosted the tournament from its inception in 1967 right through to 2002, with the exception of just one venture to Karen CC (the course which hosted last year's edition).
The golf club is associated with the nearby Country Club which was at the heart of the Happy Valley set in the 1920s and 30s, a whirligig of aristocratic decadence. They boozed heavily, gambled freely, philandered widely, and shot anything that moved (sometimes each other).
By the 1970s the ex-pat scene had become slightly less frenetic and the highlight of the social calendar was a visit by the Safari Tour, a circuit that allowed European Tour golfers to remain competitive during the fallow months of winter.
Some of the tales told in those days are wonderfully batty. In his autobiography, Sandy Lyle recalls: "The hospitality to the visiting golfers bordered on the embarrassing, with every meal including fresh fruit and veg at a time when a humble cauliflower could fetch as much as a fiver on the black market."
(As a side-note, it remains fascinating that, in sporting autobiographies, something like a cauliflower is never just a cauliflower. Instead, it is always a "humble" cauliflower.)
"As a way of saying thanks for our board and keep," continues Lyle, "the contingent of British players all packed an array of goodies for our hosts, which is why my suitcase was loaded down with tins of tomato soup, baked beans, HP sauce, bacon, Bovril, teabags, biscuits and - sheer luxury - soft loo roll."
What a journey Lyle was on. Within a few years, he'd been transformed from a dodgy grocer to the owner of a green jacket, and he wasn't alone in tasting golfing glory after Kenyan success. Seve Ballesteros won this event at Muthaiga, as did Ryder Cup stars Christy O'Connor Jr, Jose Maria Canizares, Ken Brown, Eamonn Darcy and Lyle's fellow Shropshire Lad Ian Woosnam.
Who will join them on the honours board this week? Well, the first selection is a golfer who I suspect will be happy to find himself in the thin air of Nairobi.
The Kenya capital sits at 1,795 metres above sea level and that is a real factor this week because in recent times the tournament winners (it's equally relevant at Karen CC) have proved themselves at altitude elsewhere.
And India's Shubhankar Sharma could join them.
Back when he burst onto the DP World Tour scene in 2017 he did so by winning in the thin air of the high veldt at the 2017 Joburg Open and within weeks he was backing that up by leading the WGC Mexico Championship through 36 and 54 holes in Mexico City.
He struggled in the aftermath of that excitement, but his form in the last six months has been excellent. In fact, his last 16 starts have reaped nine top 30 finishes, including half a dozen top 12s.
Within those efforts, he was tied ninth with 18 holes to go in Crans at the European Masters and third in the Open de Espana in Madrid - both at altitude, of course.
Other than the thin air, this week is also a traditional tree-lined test and that suits Sharma too: he has a fine record at each of Delhi GC, Hong Kong GC and Wentworth.
Next Best: Guido Migliozzi 1pt each-way @ 80/1
Had they been the right side of 20/1 Justin Harding, who very nearly landed a double in Kenya last year, and Adri Arnaus, in form and with good memories of the country, would have been of interest.
But as it is their prices are about right.
Matthew Jordan also piqued my interest, but second pick is the Italian Guido Migliozzi for a number of reasons.
The first is really rather obvious: he won the event in 2019 (as it happens pushing Harding and Arnaus into second). Later that year he added a second win and he was also T12th when defending his title.
Karen and Muthaiga are similar enough venues to believe that he's up to playing well again and I like that on the third tier Alps Tour he had a fantastic record at a course called Miglianico, finishing seventh before winning there twice.
He's unquestionably a boom-or-bust merchant, but the good golf is very good.
Last year he finished second three times and was also tied fourth at the U.S. Open. His last top 10 was at altitude in the European Masters at Crans.
The flipside is that he's been bust more often than not in recent times. In fact, he has no top 40 since the Dunhill Links.
But he won here off very, very similar form, the field has no reason to scare him, and the conditions, if he finds his game, will suit.
It's another case of the price persuading the decision, yet in the case to our advantage. The 80/1 is very attractive.
Final bet: Daan Huizing 0.5pt each-way @ 200/1
The last man to win here at Muthaiga was the Italian Lorenzo Gagli and one thing that always stood out with him was a spectacular record at St Omer. Indeed, he played there seven times, was never outside the top 30, landed five top 10s, four of them top fives.
He's not alone. Other Muthaiga winners Seve Benson, Robert Dinwiddie and Lee S James also played that fiddly track in France very well.
That leads me to the Dutchman Daan Huizing who has played St Omer fives times, never missing a cut and landing four top 15s, three of them top fives.
He's also played Geneve well on the second tier, another layout that Gagli was fond of - and Aaron Rai won at Muthaiga and really ought to have won at Galgorm Castle two years ago. Huizing is gun there, including a win.
The clincher is that Huizing also has form in Nairobi with two top 10s and T28th here at Muthaiga.
He's not in great form, but he's four-time winner on the Challenge Tour and a huge price. Note the smaller stake.
- Having difficulty working out the place returns? Fret no more - you can easily work out your returns with our new each way calculator.
MATT'S 2022 P/L
Staked: 21pts
Returned: 8pts
2022 P/L: -13pts
2021 P/L: +49pts