Guido Migliozzi and Thriston Lawrence are hoping a return to a country which holds fond memories can inspire a change in their momentum on the path to realising their objectives for the season.
Italian Migliozzi won his first DP World Tour title at the Magical Kenya Open in 2019, before the event moved from Karen Country Club to Muthaiga Golf Club, where South African Lawrence finished in a tie for second in 2022 behind Ashun Wu.
Both players, who boast seven DP World Tour victories between them, have struggled to produce their best on a consistent basis so far this year, with three events remaining on the International Swing.
Migliozzi is making his fourth appearance in the tournament, and despite having missed the cut on his only previous visit to Muthaiga Golf Club, the 27-year-old is upbeat about his chances as he targets his first top ten of the season.
“It’s always good to be back in Kenya,” he said. “Great memories from my first win on Tour. I love the place, love the people and I like this course. It’s tight, you have to be very precise from the tee. It’s good, good vibes.”
Lawrence comes into the event 15th on the Race to Dubai Rankings after a strong start to the season which saw him record no worse than a tie for 11th in three consecutive starts on home soil during the Opening Swing at the end of last year.
But taking that fine form into the new year with a runner-up finish at the Dubai Invitational, he has since finished no higher than a tie for 49th with two missed cuts.
Speaking about his hopes heading into the event, he said: “It feels like I’m in the best of form but not the best of momentum after the last few weeks, especially having a week off last week.
“But I need to try and stick to my game plan and hopefully that works.”
It feels like I’m in the best of form but not the best of momentum after the last few weeks, especially having a week off last week.
Lawrence, who has claimed two of his four DP World Tour titles in the continent of Africa, is teeing it up for the second time at the Magical Kenya Open and only has good things to say about this week’s host venue.
“It’s a bit softer than the last time we played. But I grew up on golf courses like this,” he added.
“It’s quite tree-lined, a lot of dog legs, the greens are fairly smooth, which helps for me as a decent iron player.
“If you hit the middle of the green, you’re not going to have the longest putts. I really like it and I’m looking forward to the week.”
In a year when the Olympics are taking place, and with qualification for the Major Championships a goal for both, there are plenty of incentives to start a run of good results.
“Every week from now is very important,” said World Number 87 Lawrence. “There’s Presidents Cup, Olympics, Majors coming up on the schedule.
“The last couple of weeks weren’t the best performances for those goals, but it’s important. I want to win every week, but I want to have a lot of decent performances going forward.”
Migliozzi, who missed out on qualifying for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship last year, said: “My main goal is to get back to higher levels. I feel like I’m building something that will help me day by day. I’ll keep doing the process.
"My final goal is to be near the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings, top ten or top 15. That’s my main goal at the moment, and trying to get into Majors if it’s possible.”
