It’s true what they say, ‘age aint nothing but a number.’
Once touted as one of Kenya’s most promising young golfers, 16-year-old Chanelle Wangari is set to compete against 96 professional golfers from different countries around the world at this year’s Magical Kenya Ladies Open which is taking take at the PGA Baobab Course in Vipingo Ridge, Kilifi County.
The young golfer who describes herself as, “a junior golfer just doing my thing – playing in golf events around the world” is a household name. Chanelle is Kenya’s Amateur No.1 player. She recently won the Kenya Ladies Open Amateur (Stroke Play and Match Play) tournaments in 2022 and also, notched 6 KLGU Ladies Open organized countrywide. She represented Kenya in 2018 at the All Africa Junior Challenge in Morocco. She successfully qualified for R&A Junior in England and is an Africa Junior Champion Winner. She was nominated to represent Kenya at Inaugural Ladies European Tour (LET) 2022- Magical Kenya Ladies Open at the age of 15.
Chanelle Wangari was the first Kenyan to tee off this morning in the first round of the 2023 Magical Ladies Kenya Open.
In the future, Wangari has aspirations to compete in major tournaments such as the Women’s British Open and the U.S. Women’s Open. She also wants to become a role model for young golfers in Kenya and inspire them to pursue their dreams. With her natural talent and hard work ethic, Chanelle Wangari is definitely a golfer to watch in the coming years.
Kenya is hosting the opening round of the 2023 Ladies European Tour for the third time. First held at the end of 2019 and a second time in February 2022 after a Covid-enforced break, the tournament features golfers from many different nationalities including a selection of home Kenyan players, at the invitation of the LET.
Announcing the return of the tournament, LET CEO Alexandra Armas said “We are thrilled to be kick-starting our record-breaking 2023 LET season with the Magical Kenya Ladies Open, which will be the first event on the Race to Costa del Sol. Our players love the magnificent Baobab Course and the unique safari-like atmosphere at Vipingo Ridge and many of our members will be returning for the third edition of the tournament. We can’t wait to start what will be a busy and exciting year on the LET.”
The Magical Kenya Ladies Open will be the first in a series of 39 events on the Ladies European Tour 2023 calendar – the most fixtures ever held on the Tour.
The tournament is sponsored by among others, the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and The Arts, U.COM , EABL through its Johnnie Walker brand, Safaricom’s Mpesa, Huawei, KCB Group and Visa.