Following a thrilling Middle Eastern series, the DP World Tour sets its sights on Africa for the highly anticipated 2024 Magical Kenya Open. This prestigious event kicks off a thrilling three-tournament African swing before the international swing concludes and the Tour dives into the Asian leg. Set to kick off at Nairobi’s Muthaiga Golf Club on Thursday, February 22, the tournament spans four days and hosts a 144-player field, including several familiar faces in the circuit.
Rikuya Hoshino will be one of the limelight stealers in the Kenyan capital over the weekend. The Japanese golfer has been on fire, with runner-up finishes at both the Australian Open and Australian PGA before finally clinching his breakthrough victory at the Qatar Masters. He’s now riding high in the Race to Dubai and has skyrocketed to 75th in the world rankings. Another win would all but guarantee him a spot in the top 50 and secure his place at the majors.
Can Hoshino hold his own against the tournament’s other big guns? We’ve scoured the latest William Hill odds to give you a peek at the best bets to make on the 2024 Magical Kenya Open this week.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 20th, 3:30 P.M. (GMT)
Thirston Lawrence is currently the favourite to reign the Muthaiga Golf Club. While not officially the highest-ranked player (last year’s champ Jorge Campillo won’t be defending), Lawrence (87) edges out Hoshino (77) as the bookmaker William Hill’s favourite. He impressed with a runner-up finish at the Dubai Invitational in January, but a so-so 49th place at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters will somewhat dent his confidence going into the tournament.
Ewen Ferguson’s back for another crack at the Kenyan crown, and this time he’s hot on Lawrence’s heels as second favourite. He nearly took the trophy home in 2022 but fell short to a relentless Ashun Wu. Speaking of Wu, the 2022 champion is in the mix again, but his recent form suggests he might not be a roaring contender this year. So, while Wu’s odds sit at a distant 51.00 to repeat his 2022 magic, odds place Ferguson higher on the favourites ladder.
On paper, Hoshino comes in as the third favourite at 17.00. In our opinion, however, he is the best candidate to lift the trophy this time around. Hoshino started the year with a 12th-place finish at the Bahrain Championship and then went on a title-winning run in Qatar. At this moment, there seems no better pick than counting on Hoshino to win successive European Tour titles.
Another option that offers great value this week is Dylan Frittelli at 51.00. The South African had a forgettable PGA Tour campaign last year, but he roared back with a win at the Bahrain Championship. Could Kenya see another DP Tour trophy in his hands? It’s definitely a possibility, but it feels like a riskier move than opting for Hoshino.
