| Magical Kenya Open | |
| Location: | Nairobi, Kenya |
| Establishment: | 1967 |
| Course: | Muthaiga Golf Club |
| Par: | 71 |
| Yardage: | 7228yd |
| Tour: | European Tour Challenge Tour Safari Circuit |
| Format: | Stroke play |
| Month Played: | February |
| Aggregate: | 263 Justin Harding (2021) |
| To-Par: | −21 as above |
| Current Champion: |  Darius van Driel |
| Coordinates: | -1.257°N 36.843°W |
| Map: | Kenya |
| Map Label: | Muthaiga GC |
| Map Relief: | yes |
| Map Size: | 200 |
The Kenya Open, currently titled as the Magical Kenya Open for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tournament in Kenya founded in 1967.[1]
The Kenya Open was an associate event on the Far East Circuit in 1967 and 1968,[2] [3] after which it became a cornerstone of the emerging Safari Circuit – a collection of tournaments initially in Kenya and Zambia, and then later in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe.[4] The European Tour, who had taken over running of the Safari Tour in the late 1970s, began to expand globally through the 1980s and those events formally became part of the second tier Challenge Tour in 1991. With the exception of the 1994 event, the Kenya Open remained on the Challenge Tour schedule until 2019 when it was elevated to the elite European Tour schedule.
In 2019, the tournament became a European Tour event and was played in mid-March during the same week as The Players Championship on the PGA Tour.[5]
The tournament has always been held near Nairobi, either at Muthaiga Golf Club (1967, 1969–2002, 2009–2012, 2017–2018, 2022–2023) or at Karen Country Club (1968, 2004–2008, 2013–2016, 2019, 2021).
The title has been won by some of Europe's Ryder Cup golfers, including Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, Ken Brown, Edoardo Molinari and Christy O'Connor Jnr, as well as future Masters champion Trevor Immelman. The most successful player is Maurice Bembridge, who recorded three victories between 1968 and 1979.
| Year | Tour | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Venue | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magical Kenya Open | |||||||||
| 2024 | 270 | −14 | 2 strokes | Muthaiga | [6] | ||||
| 2023 | 266 | −18 | 2 strokes | Muthaiga | [7] | ||||
| 2022 | 268 | −16 | 4 strokes | Muthaiga | [8] | ||||
| 2021 | 263 | −21 | 2 strokes | Karen | [9] | ||||
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | [10] | |||||||
| 2019 | 268 | −16 | 1 stroke | Karen | [11] | ||||
| Barclays Kenya Open | |||||||||
| 2018 | 273 | −11 | Playoff | Muthaiga | [12] | ||||
| 2017 | 267 | −17 | 3 strokes | Muthaiga | [13] | ||||
| 2016 | 270 | −18 | 3 strokes | Karen | [14] | ||||
| 2015 |  Haydn Porteous | 271 | −17 | Playoff | Karen | [15] | |||
| 2014 | 278 | −10 | 1 stroke | Karen | [16] | ||||
| 2013 | 272 | −12 | 1 stroke | Karen | [17] | ||||
| 2012 | 274 | −10 | Playoff | Muthaiga | [18] | ||||
| 2011 | 270 | −14 | 2 strokes | Muthaiga | [19] | ||||
| Kenya Open | |||||||||
| 2010 | 272 | −12 | 3 strokes | Muthaiga | [20] | ||||
| Tusker Kenya Open | |||||||||
| 2009 | 271 | −13 | 4 strokes | Muthaiga | [21] | ||||
| 2008 | 272 | −12 | 3 strokes | Karen | [22] | ||||
| 2007 | 274 | −6 | 1 stroke | Karen | [23] | ||||
| 2006 | 270 | −10 | 4 strokes | Karen | [24] | ||||
| 2005 | 272 | −8 | 3 strokes | Karen | [25] | ||||
| Kenya Open | |||||||||
| 2004 | 270 | −10 | Playoff | Karen | [26] | ||||
| 2003: No tournament | |||||||||
| Sameer Kenya Open | |||||||||
| 2002 | 265 | −19 | 3 strokes | Muthaiga | [27] | ||||
| Tusker Kenya Open | |||||||||
| 2001 | 271 | −13 | Playoff | Muthaiga | [28] | ||||
| 2000 | 270 | −14 | 4 strokes | Muthaiga | [29] | ||||
| 1999 | 265 | −19 | 3 strokes | Muthaiga | [30] | ||||
| 1998 | 272 | −12 | Playoff | Muthaiga | |||||
| Lonrho Kenya Open | |||||||||
| 1997 | 268 | −16 | 4 strokes | Muthaiga | |||||
| Kenya Open | |||||||||
| 1996 | 272 | −12 | Playoff | Muthaiga | |||||
| 1995 | 265 | −19 | 5 strokes | Muthaiga | |||||
| 1994 | 276 | −8 | Playoff | Muthaiga | |||||
| 1993 | 276 | −8 | Playoff | Muthaiga | [31] | ||||
| Standard Chartered Kenya Open | |||||||||
| 1992 | 272 | −12 | 1 stroke | Muthaiga | [32] | ||||
| 1991 | 269 | −15 | 5 strokes | Muthaiga | |||||
| 555 Kenya Open | |||||||||
| 1990 | SAF | 271 | −13 | 2 strokes | Muthaiga | [33] | |||
| 1989 | SAF | 271 | −13 | 3 strokes | Muthaiga | [34] | |||
| 1988 | SAF | 271 | −13 | 1 stroke | Muthaiga | [35] | |||
| 1987 | SAF | 275 | −9 | Playoff | Muthaiga | [36] | |||
| 1986 | SAF | 273 | −11 | Playoff | Muthaiga | [37] | |||
| 1985 | SAF | 278 | −6 | 1 stroke | Muthaiga | [38] | |||
| 1984 | SAF | 277 | −7 | Playoff | Muthaiga | [39] | |||
| Benson & Hedges Kenya Open | |||||||||
| 1983 | SAF | 274 | −10 | 1 stroke | Muthaiga | [40] | |||
| 1982 | SAF | 274 | −10 | 1 stroke | Muthaiga | [41] | |||
| 1981 | SAF | 274 | −10 | 1 stroke | Muthaiga | [42] | |||
| 1980 | SAF | 271 | −13 | 1 stroke | Muthaiga | [43] [44] | |||
| 1979 | SAF | Maurice Bembridge (3) | 271 | −13 | Playoff | Muthaiga | [45] | ||
| Kenya Open | |||||||||
| 1978 | SAF | 274 | −10 | 1 stroke | Muthaiga | [46] | |||
| 1977 | SAF | 283 | −1 | 1 stroke | Muthaiga | [47] | |||
| 1976: No tournament due to economic problems | |||||||||
| 1975 | 276 | −12 | Playoff | Muthaiga | [48] | ||||
| 1974 | 274 | −14 | 1 stroke | Muthaiga | [49] | ||||
| 1973 | Jan Dorrestein (2) | 276 | −12 | 1 stroke | Muthaiga | [50] | |||
| 1972 | 279 | −9 | 2 strokes | Muthaiga | [51] | ||||
| 1971 | 283 | −5 | Playoff | Muthaiga | [52] | ||||
| 1970 | 273 | −15 | 14 strokes | Muthaiga | [53] | ||||
| 1969 | Maurice Bembridge (2) | 279 | −9 | 5 strokes | Bernard Gallacher Simon Hobday (a) | Muthaiga | [54] | ||
| 1968 | 289 | +1 | 2 strokes | Karen | [55] | ||||
| 1967 | 279 | −9 | 4 strokes | Muthaiga | [56] [57] | ||||