Magical Kenya Open 2024: Course and current form stats

• Tight tree-lined fairways, numerous testing dog-legs

• Jesper 25/126.00 can make breakthrough at this level

• Opportunity knocks for Cockerill 33/134.00

Tournament and Course Notes

• Having opened 2024 with five tournaments in the Middle East, the DP World Tour now embarks on a trio of events on the continent of Africa. First up is the Magical Kenya Open;

• For the third straight year, the tournament takes place at Muthaiga Golf Club on the outskirts of Nairobi. Despite being a relatively new venue for the DP World Tour, Muthaiga has hosted 17 Challenge Tour events since 1991;

• Muthaiga Golf Club, which is situated around five miles north of Nairobi city centre, is a lush parkland venue with tight tree-lined fairways and water hazards on seven holes. The course is laid out close to the Karura Forest and is undulating in places;

• There are plenty of testing dog legs to be conquered at a layout where good course management is especially important;

• Muthaiga was once a regular location on the Safari Tour, which offered an African-based early-year schedule for professionals during the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. Opened on New Year's Eve 1913, Muthaiga is a symbol of Britain's former colonial past.

Latest betting for this week's Magical Kenya Open

Good Current Form

With no member of the world's top 60 taking part, this week's tournament has a low-key feel to it.

Among those who have made solid starts to 2024 are Aaron Cockerill 33/134.00, Nacho Elvira 50/151.00, Ewen Ferguson 14/115.00 and Jesper Svensson 25/126.00.

Cockerill, who posted top-six finishes in Dubai and Bahrain, tied-second at Muthaiga when the course made its DP World Tour debut in 2022.

Ferguson, meanwhile, tied-eighth in that event and arrives in Kenya having registered a top-10 finish in Qatar two weeks ago.

As for Svensson, the Swede appears ready to move up from Challenge Tour winner to become a DP World Tour champion - and this week's mediocre field shouldn't provide too many hurdles.

He's a two-time runner-up at this level, with both of these performances happening since the start of December last year.

Good Course Form

Not a great amount of course form data to go on but Thriston Lawrence 14/115.00 appears well-placed to earn a fifth DP World Tour victory in 27 months.

The South African tied-second on his only previous appearance at Muthaiga two years ago.

Julien Brun 60/161.00 and Darius Van Driel 66/167.00 are others with reasonable brief course histories, but there's little which stands out as being exceptionally impressive.

Latest betting for this year's Masters Tournament

World Ranking Points

Most Points Since September 1st, 2023 (Top 10 Listed)
48.44: Rikuya Hoshino
34.81: Thriston Lawrence
25.74: Connor Syme
24.85: Jesper Svensson
21.36: Dylan Frittelli
20.09: Ewen Ferguson
19.95: Frederic LaCroix
19.48: Hurly Long
16.20: Aaron Cockerill
15.98: Nacho Elvira
Only those entered this week are included in table.

Betfair Sportsbook

Note: Muthaiga hosted Challenge Tour events in 2017 & 2018; and DP World Tour events in 2022 & 2023.

Note: List Contains Leading Reserves