Magical Kenya Open 2025 FRL Tips: Three to go low in the morning

We are in Africa for the next leg of the DP World Tour and Jamie Worsley has already given us his Magical Kenya Open Predictions.

However, there are some gusting afternoon winds on the cards, so the early starters look to have the first-round advantage at Muthaiga Golf Club. You can check out his Magical Kenya Open 2025 First Round Leader Tips here...

The conditions are predicted be clear, warm and bright throughout the opening round. As the morning starters tee off (between 07:20 and 09:10), there is forecast to be a gentle 6-8mph breeze, and it should stay like this for much of the morning.

However, as the later starters begin at 12:20, the wind is scheduled to increase to 9-12mph. Accompanied by stronger gusts of around 27mph, it is anticipated to be considerably breezier for those afternoon starters on day one.

With that, I’m going to focus all of my attention on those with morning tee times for the first round of the event.

1 pt Jayden Schaper each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 40/1

Start time: 07:40

After a positive start to the season and possessing a likeable record here, Jayden Schaper was of interest in the outright market. However, he’s still without a victory in the pro game across any level and priced much shorter than many more proven types, I was happy to give him a miss there.

That being said, with his advantageous morning start time and a more appealing price, he made a lot of sense in the first-round leader market.

The young South African was playing well at the end of last year and he has transferred that over to 2025. He hit the top 25 amidst a strong field in the Dubai Desert Classic and following less impressive efforts in Ras Al Khaimah and Bahrain, he burst back into life in Qatar last time out, finishing 5^th.

He’s been doing most things well, but it’s his iron play that stands out, ranking 15^th in this field in approach over his last 20 recorded rounds. In addition, he’s been making some fast starts of late, ranking 25^th in round one performance over his last five starts; shooting a 4-under 68 to sit 3^rd after round one in Mauritius five starts ago and he opened with a 3-under 69 to sit 11^th in Qatar.

Schaper has played Muthaiga twice, finishing 34^th in 2022 and 7^th in 2023. He’s never shot over par at the venue and fired a 6-under 65 in the second round in 2023 – one of the top-10 rounds of the week.

1 pt Casey Jarvis each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 55/1

Start time: 09:00

On to another young South African with a similar profile to Schaper, in the shape of Casey Jarvis. He’s been playing consistently solid golf since the end of 2024 and putting up a couple of eye-catching rounds at Muthaiga in the past, he’s taken to make a swift start in Kenya.

Stretching back to last year, Jarvis hasn’t missed a cut in any of his last 10 starts on the DP World Tour. His best result of this period came when 6^th in the Genesis Championship back in October and of his four made cuts on the tour this year, he impressed most in Bahrain, finishing 21^st.

His tee-to-green game has looked strong for some time, ranking 15^th in this field in the last six months, and he’s also been one of the best starters of late, ranking 7^th in round one performance across his last 10 starts.

Jarvis finished 25^th on debut here in 2023 and was a solid enough 42^nd last year. He’s started strongly on both trips, shooting a 66 in the first round in 2023 to hit 5^th place on the opening day and again finished round one inside the top 20 last year. Also possessing a 65 in the final round on that debut effort, there’s plenty of evidence that he has the game to hit the front tomorrow.

0.75 pts Manuel Elvira each-way (1/4 - 5 places) @ 70/1

Start time: 08:50

Older brother, Nacho made the outright selections but it’s Manuel Elvira that appealed more in this first-round leader market. He was an excellent 4^th here on debut last year and having played reasonably well for most of this new season, I fancy him to get off to a flying start on Thursday.

Elvira has played seven events of this 2024/25 season and missed just two cuts. He’s finished inside the top 30 on four occasions and comes into this event after his best result of the year in Qatar, where he finished 25^th.

That consistent run of results has been aided by generally positive starts. Indeed, he ranks 8^th in round one performance in his last 10 events and he has opened with an under par score on seven of those weeks.

Elvira bookended this event with rounds of 70 last year, though shone in the middle rounds, firing a 66 and 67 in rounds two and three respectively. A similar level of performance would put him in the mix tomorrow and considering where his game is at, I fancy him to find that performance.

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