Gavin Green will make his first appearance in a tournament in Kenya when he tees off in the Magical Kenya Open this Thursday.
Coming off a missed cut in last week’s Qatar Masters, the Malaysian No 1 is eager to do well at Karen Country Club in Nairobi. One of the oldest golf clubs in Kenya having been built on a coffee plantation in the late 1930s, Karen Country Club offers a 6921-yard, par-71 layout with tight fairways lined by mature trees and wetlands.
“It’s is an old school course, so playing to the correct spots and giving yourself chances is the way here. You really need to plan your shots,” noted Gavin.
“There are a few driveable par-fours if the wind is in the right direction. It’s very windy here and can get quite swirly,” he added.
Despite a rough start to the year, Gavin remains upbeat about his game. “My game has been alright; I just haven’t been able to piece it together on the course. That’s the nature of the game. I haven’t been playing badly, just haven’t been able to score. It will come at some point … I’ve just got to keep working hard on it.”
Gavin will remain in Kenya for next week’s Kenya Savannah Classic, which will be played at the same venue with an identical prize fund of €1 million. “With the Covid-19 situation, it’s a lot easier for us playing the same course for two successive events. Hopefully I can get some momentum here and we’ll see what happens.”
Gavin is currently in 155th place on the European Tour’s Race To Dubai rankings, having finished a career-high 52nd on the 2020 standings when he also made it to the season-ending DP World Tour Championship for the first time.
