Rohwer To Lead Invited Sunshine Tour Big Hitters To Karen Masters Showdown

19th June 2019

JC Ritchie, Daniel van Tonder, Benjamin Follett-Smith and JJ Senekal will join the Investec Royal Swazi Open champion to challenge for victory in Nairobi next week

Thika Golf Club's Simon Ngige lines up a putt on the final round of the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship. He finished the tournament with a 5-under par score to tie in 25th. PHOTO/Courtesy
Thika Golf Club's Simon Ngige lines up a putt on the final round of the 2019 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship. He finished the tournament with a 5-under par score to tie in 25th. PHOTO/Courtesy
SUMMARY
  • Also jetting in to Nairobi is Daniel van Tonder who pulled off a sensational one-stroke victory at the 2019 Mopani Redpath Greendoor Logistics Zambia Open at Nkana Golf Club for his first Sunshine Tour win in five years as well as Benjamin Follett-Smith who scooped the top honours at the RAM Cape Town Open to add to his his 2018 Big Easy Challenge success
  • The last batch of local qualifiers to the event was confirmed last weekend at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club

NAIROBI, Kenya- South Africa-based Sunshine Tour winners amongst them Martin Rohwer are expected in town to sprinkle the stardust on the 2019 KCB Karen Masters that tees off on June 26 in Nairobi.

Rohwer who is the 2019 Investec Royal Swazi Open champion that is also part of the Sunshine tour will challenge for the Karen crown alongside JC Ritchie who topped the final leaderboard at the April Zanaco Masters in Zambia.

Also jetting in to Nairobi is Daniel van Tonder who pulled off a sensational one-stroke victory at the 2019 Mopani Redpath Greendoor Logistics Zambia Open at Nkana Golf Club for his first Sunshine Tour win in five years as well as Benjamin Follett-Smith who scooped the top honours at the RAM Cape Town Open to add to his his 2018 Big Easy Challenge success.

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Another invited top player is the 2018 Zanaco champion, JJ Senekal who on his day, is a formidable golfer having fired an impressive 14 under 274 total on his charge for victory in Zambia last year.

Last batch

Senekal two Southern Africa PGA Tour victories under his belt- the 2013 Vodacom Origins of Golf Final and 2018 Zanaco Masters. 

Riekus Nortje who breezed the Big Easy Tour in 2012 and 2017 Zambia Open champion rounds off the impressive cast of the invited guest golfers who will be on show at the third edition of the Karen event that joined the Sunshine Tour last year.

The last batch of local qualifiers to the event was confirmed last weekend at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club.

Organisers had earlier announced that Pretoria born Jake Roos and Johannesburg based Michael Palmer will be returning to the 2019 KCB Karen Masters that will be part of the Sunshine Tour for the second year with fond memories.

Roos won the Kenya Open at the same venue in 2014 and has high hopes of racking up his maiden Masters title when the biggest name of the biggest tour card in Africa descend on the Par 71 Karen Country Club course from June 26 and 30.

Roos clinched the 2014 Kenya Open in dramatic fashion with a gross total of 10 under par 278 while Palmer carded a remarkable last round of 5-under par 67 for a total 18-under par 270 to claim the coveted Karen Masters blue jacket last year.