Pristine Vipingo primed to become home of Kenya Ladies Open

Hosts of the Magical Kenya Ladies Open, Vipingo Ridge, are hoping their event will become a permanent annual fixture on the sporting calendar as they look at making the occasion bigger and better every year. 

The tournament, first held in 2019 before taking a two-year break due to COVID-19-related disruptions, is part of the Ladies European Tour (LET), making it one of its kind in Eastern and Central Africa. 

In partnership with tournament organisers U.COM Event, Vipingo Ridge currently has a five-year contract with the LET but its chairman, Alastair Cavenagh, says there is consideration to make it a lasting event. 

"We hope it is going to become a permanent feature. Our contract with the Ladies European Tour is five years. We are into the second year now, but there is no reason why it should not be a permanent feature. So, let us wait and see," he said.

Whilst this second edition of this event is by no means a small affair with a player field of 96 and a prize purse of Ksh 30 million, Alastair hopes it will grow into an even bigger tournament to match the size of the men’s European Tour event, the Magical Kenya Open, in Nairobi.

The Government recently announced a Ksh 250 Million sponsorship towards the Magical Kenya Open, compared to the Ksh 30 Million for the ladies.

In an interview, he stated the industry needed to see more parity in the prize purse and hoped more investment would be made into the ladies’ game to narrow the current gap and offer the gender equality expected of modern times. 

"An event like this only works with supportive sponsors. The Government of Kenya has been fantastic by putting in the prize money. But I would like to see this increased because there is a big disparity between the men's equivalent of the tournament and this event. The gender equality gap needs to be closed," said Alastair.

Commenting on the changes and additions Vipingo Ridge has made to the venue and course in the lead up to the 2022 event, Alastair noted that the wildlife was a big hit.

"We have introduced eight species of wildlife to Vipingo since the players were here last time and that has changed the whole dynamic of the venue. Having game wandering around the golf course is a unique experience.

We also changed all of the greens in 2020, and we put the new putting surface, which is a grass you can cut a lot shorter and makes for better playing surface, so, the course is in much better condition than it was in 2019. Feedback from the players has been good so far."

He adds that having the tournament back this year is testament that Kenya is ready to receive the world’s tourists again:

"This event puts Vipingo, Kilifi and Kenya on the map and I think post-COVID, and hopefully we are headed in that direction, it is important to show the world that Kenya is open for business again and a safe place to come."