Kanana Muthomi follows her putt at the 2025 Muthaiga Ladies Open/HANDOUT
A handsome payday awaits 20 junior golfers when they step onto the tee for the Absa “Beat the Pro” Challenge at the 2026 Magical Kenya Open, set to tee off on Thursday at the Karen Golf and Country Club.
The winners will pocket Sh50,000 each, credited to boosted Absa Bank junior accounts, in a contest scheduled for Saturday on the scenic golf course.
The unique challenge, now one of the tournament’s most anticipated side attractions, pits one junior against three professionals in a nearest-to-the-pin shootout on a designated hole. Whoever lands closest to the pin wins, and if the junior beats the pros, they walk away with both bragging rights and a substantial financial reward.
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Eligible participants are juniors aged 12 to 18 with a handicap of no more than 9.0.
“But the whole criteria will be decided over by the Junior Golf Foundation. This event is meant to motivate our juniors as they are our MKO future players,” said Kenya Open Golf Limited chairman Patrick Obath.
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Obath noted that featuring juniors instead of celebrities in the hole-in-one competition makes the Kenyan event stand out globally. “In many countries, the Absa ‘Beat the Pro’ Challenge is played with celebrities.
In Kenya, we chose to give that opportunity to our juniors because this is about inspiration and growth of the game,” he said.
He added, “When a young golfer stands on the tee with three top professionals and competes on the same hole, it builds belief. It shows them they belong on this stage.”
Absa Bank Kenya’s Marketing and Corporate Affairs Director, Mwihaki Wachira, highlighted that the Absa “Beat the Pro” Challenge is designed not just to reward performance, but to develop junior talent and expose them to elite competition.
“We are holding the challenge for the second year running. The players will go head‑to‑head with the pros. We are doing this event for two reasons,” she said, underscoring the developmental intent behind the contest.
“One, to grow the junior talent in this country by giving them exposure. When they stand next to the global pros, our junior players get to learn one or two things from that experience. They see what these pros from around the world come with … it’s actually a priceless opportunity for them to be coached, mentored by the pros and be part of the MKO.”
Wachira emphasised Absa’s wider commitment to youth, noting that the engagement extends beyond golf to financial literacy and other sports development programmes aimed at helping young athletes manage and plan for their financial futures.
“We invest in days before competitions … we tell them saving options available and insurance options to take so they grow in sports and start saving big money,” she added.
Last year’s edition proved the concept works, with Kanana Muthomi (Windsor), Kevin Anyien (Golf Park), and Mitansh Thacker (Sigona) each beating the professionals on the signature 13th hole to earn Sh50,000 apiece.