Sigona Golf Club hard hitter Mohit Mediratta is the latest Kenyan entrant into this year’s Magical Kenya Open (MKO) set for the scenic Karen Golf and Country Club in Nairobi on February 19-22.

Also, the global golf showpiece has attracted six PGA Tour event winners whose list will be unveiled by the Kenya Open Golf Limited (KOGL) and the DP World Tour in the coming days.

Last week, five former MKO winners, namely 2019 Guido Migliozzi (Italy), 2021 Justin Harding (South Africa), 2022 Ashun Wu (China), 2023 Jorge Campillo (Spain), and 2024 Darius Van Driel (Netherlands), confirmed their participation in Karen.

Also in the mix is tournament defending champion Jacques Kruyswijk of South Africa, who has pledged to guard his title.

Mediratta’s entry into the MKO now brings the number of Kenyan pros for the global golf showpiece to 11.

Mediratta was among the five Kenyan players on the MKO reserve list, alongside Mike Kisia, Eric Ooko, John Karichu and Isaiah Otuke.

“Mediratta punched a ticket to the MKO through an identified loophole following completion of the Qatar Masters, which was assessed by the KOGL and the DP World Tour,” KOGL Chairman Patrick Obath told Standard Sports.

“We are in constant communication with the DP World Tour for any other available opportunities and chances are high that two other Kenyan players in the reserve squad will qualify in the next two to three days,” Obath highlighted.

Obath was speaking on Thursday at Karen Golf and Country Club in Nairobi at a ceremony where gaming firm SportPesa came on board to support this year’s MKO to the tune of Sh20 Million.

Apart from Mediratta, Adel Balala is also the latest Kenyan amateur to earn the coveted MKO ticket after being placed the best Kenyan player at the just concluded African Amateur Championship held in South Africa last week.

However, Obath stated that Balala will be duly replaced by the Kenya Golf Union after the player got a lifetime chance to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to attend the annual holy Hajj Pilgrimage.

Obath reiterated that this year’s MKO will be the strongest of all the 57 editions of the annual golf showdown, following entries of the six PGA Tour top guns from the USA.

Obath has also urged fans to turn up in large numbers during the tournament to enjoy not only the game but also the razzmatazz.

“There will be heavy dunda (music) at the Games Village with endless Sherehe (partying) starting from next Friday to Sunday. Top DJs will be on the deck and big stars will entertain the revellers,” he stated.

While explaining their MKO support debut, SportPesa CEO Ronald Karauri said their grand entry into golf is part of their objective to take sports to the next level in Kenya.

“MKO offers us an opportunity to sell Kenya to the outside world as a top sports and tourism destination. We are also going big in the world of motorsports, starting with this year’s WRC Safari Rally in Naivasha, where we will be sponsoring two top drivers to go for the jugular,” Karauri said.