It has been 24 years while he’s also contested 548 European Tour event since Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn last teed-up in a Kenyan Open.

Bjorn is to be congratulated in returning to Kenya to contest this week’s Magical Kenya Open after kick-starting his 1995 secondary Challenge Tour season with a second place and a Euro 4,700 prize cheque in the African nation.

The now 48-year old Dane then went onto to win three times in contesting 18 events that season to top the Challenge Tour rankings and secure his main European Tour card.

Bjorn has now contested 530 European Tour events banking a whopping Euro 20,756, 601 in prizemoney.

Thomas Bjorn ahead of 2019 Magical Kenyan Open. (Photo – European Tour)

“I have good memories of 1995 coming here,” Bjorn said at his pre-tournament press conference in Nairobi.

“I always felt like I wanted to come back but it never really happened. Now there was an opportunity and I’m glad to be here. I’m looking forward to the week.”

Bjorn has a best finish of 22nd from five events so far in 2019 and was 42nd in Qatar last week, but believes the course at Karen Country Club will play to his strengths.

“I played poorly early in the week last week and improved as the week progressed,” the world number 723 said.

“When you come to a golf course like this it’s tight, small greens, more old-style golf; when you’re an older guy you get a little bit of a smile on your face because you think if you do the right things and you get going in the right sort of way these are the type of courses you have a chance on.

“You don’t need to hit it 340 (yards). You need to think your way around the golf course, you’ve got to play the golf course in front of you and not just hit it hard.

“That gives you a little bit of a smile and a little bit of hope but there’s a strong field of players here and you’ve got to play good golf. You can’t go out and just think because the course suits you it’ll come your way.”

The Kenya Open was first staged in 1967 and has been won by the likes of Seve Ballesteros and Ian Woosnam, but is making its first appearance on the European Tour.

In recent seasons it has often been the curtain-raiser on the Challenge Tour, with Italy’s Lorenzo Gagli defeating Jens Fahrbring in a play-off in 2018