This is the seventeenth year that KBL has sponsored the tournament and the second year for the Johnnie Walker brand. The tournament will take place from 22nd to 25th March 2018 at Muthaiga Golf and Country Club.
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 23 – Kenya Breweries Limited announced a Sh6mn sponsorship towards the 50th edition of Barclays Kenya Open Golf Tournament, through its Johnnie Walker brand.
This is the seventeenth year that KBL has sponsored the tournament and the second year for the Johnnie Walker brand. The tournament will take place from 22nd to 25th March 2018 at Muthaiga Golf and Country Club.
This year, 156 golfers, including about 22 Kenyan professionals, six Kenyan amateurs and over 100 European Challenge Tour players, are expected at the Championship.
Speaking during the cheque handover ceremony, KBL Managing Director, Jane Karuku noted the importance of Kenya Open Golf Championship to Johnnie Walker and KBL as it is one of Kenya’s top sporting events with a large local, regional and global reach.
“The Kenya Open Golf tournament has demonstrated a rich legacy of longevity that blends well with the Johnnie Walker brand that has been serving beverages for over 150 years. We are proud to be associated with this tournament, which is a key fixture in the golf circuit,” Karuku said.
KBL through its Johnnie Walker product range will provide drinks for the players and spectators.
“KBL through Johnnie Walker and its brand character; perfect for sharing at life’s celebratory moments resonates with golf as an avenue to achieve these goals. We welcome our continued participation in the sport and this year’s tournament is a validation of that,” added Karuku.
KBL has partnered with the Kenya Open tournament since the late 1980s, when the event was part of the Safari Tour. From 1998 to 2001, Tusker was the title sponsor of the Kenya Open and again from 2005 to 2009.
From 2010 to 2016, Tusker Malt Lager was the Kenya Open official alcoholic beverage partner, delivering refreshment moments to golfing fans in a way that only the best, thereafter Johnnie Walker became the Gold Sponsor in 2017 and 2018.
This year’s sponsorship deal is a KSh 1million increment from last year’s, reinforcing KBL’sconfidence in the event among golf lovers in the country.
Karuku lauded the tournament’s organisers, for delivering what is arguably Kenya’s most prestigious golf tourney. “Efforts to consistently attract and maintain first-class standards have made the Kenya Open Golf what it is, for more than 50 years later,” she added.
Speaking at the same event, Kenya Open Golf Limited Director, S. R Ndegwa, expressed delight at having KBL on board for Tournament. He also stated that this year’s tournament is set to offer a lot of exciting and fun activities for spectators.
He said the tournament has established itself as a competitive, fun and engaging activity for both players and spectators, attracting a new and younger audience each year.
“Our ambition as organisers of this tournament is to attract new and younger audiences. That is why we are always looking at new ways to innovate around our flagship events. We would like to make golf a game for everyone in Kenya,” he said.
Tournament Director Peter Obath said their main aim is to make the competition that will be held at the Muthaiga Golf Club from March 22-25 rise beyond Kenya Open and join the European Tour.
