Casey Jarvis Wins Weather-Affected Magical Kenya Open

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2026-02-22T09:20:33.864Z

WELCOME

Hello and welcome to Golf Monthly’s coverage of the Magical Kenya Open final round on the DP World Tour.

As is often the way, the live blog was being fired up just as the hooter went on course to suspend play.

The final round was already pushed forward by several hours due to the expected threat of thunderstorms on Sunday, with groups going off in threes in a two-tee start.

However, the plan only saw most players complete around two-thirds of their final rounds before a huge ripple of thunder clapped overhead and everyone was told to make their way to safety.

Current conditions in Kenya ⛈️🔊#MKO2026 pic.twitter.com/1J9DHoSp1AFebruary 22, 2026

2026-02-22T09:27:16.533Z

TOURNAMENT UPDATE

As far as the golf tournament goes, the hooter arrived at a crucial moment. Overnight co-leader Jarvis had just driven the par-4 12th green and holed a really tough eagle putt to move two clear.

His playing partner and main rival for the title at this stage, Davis Bryant, could only make par meanwhile.

Jarvis sits atop the leaderboard on 22-under-par through 12 holes. He is five-under today alone and has rounds of 62, 65 and 66 in his back pocket.

🚨 PLAY SUSPENDED 🚨Round four is suspended due to lightning in the local area.#MKO2026 pic.twitter.com/fV7VZfol5PFebruary 22, 2026

2026-02-22T09:46:41.822Z

CRUCIAL JARVIS EAGLE

I mentioned that big eagle from Casey Jarvis earlier. It’s been a day of low-scoring once again in soft conditions at Karen Country Club, but take nothing away from the South African here – this is incredible golf…

CASEY JARVIS EAGLES THE 12TH! 🤩#MKO2026 pic.twitter.com/I1dWvDQuv5February 22, 2026

2026-02-22T10:10:12.243Z

RESTART TIME CONFIRMED

We have a restart time! Play is due to begin any minute now, with six holes left for the leaders.

2026-02-22T10:17:10.446Z

PLAY BACK UNDERWAY

The Magical Kenya Open has resumed, with a gap in the weather forcing a fairly fast restart. There are further storms expected later on, so the DP World Tour will hope that this event can finish as quickly as possible.

According to the broadcast, there is very little wind out on the course, so that bodes well for a faster finish and a more accurate weather forecast.

2026-02-22T10:18:44.026Z

LAPORTA INTO T2ND

Italian Francesco Laporta has just holed a long birdie putt at the 13th and is into a share of second alongside the USA’s Davis Bryant. The challenge may come from him as long as Jarvis doesn’t run away with this.

2026-02-22T10:20:05.340Z

JARVIS GOES PIN-HUNTING

The greens are still so soft and that’s making it easy to throw some darts into these tight greens. Jarvis throws one just past the flag at the 13th and that should be another birdie from no more than six feet.

Bryant can’t follow him, though, instead sending his ball into the rough over the back.

2026-02-22T10:24:10.006Z

PAR SAVE

Bryant took his medicine after going over the green and makes a 12-footer for par. A good up and down, but it sees him lose ground…

2026-02-22T10:24:55.006Z

JARVIS THREE AHEAD

That quality approach is given its just reward thanks to a successful birdie putt from Jarvis. He’s reached 23-under and now leads by three shots with five holes to go.

Casey Jarvis extends his lead to three in Nairobi 🤩#MKO2026 pic.twitter.com/K1tpxDGYvtFebruary 22, 2026

2026-02-22T10:29:42.769Z

RESPONSE

Davis Bryant provides one heck of a response at the par-3 14th by dropping his tee shot in the welcome mat-sized space of green between hole and fringe. Jarvis’ tee shot is safe but not spectacular – ending in the heart of the putting surface.

2026-02-22T10:35:59.470Z

IS THIS JARVIS’ DAY?

Bryant misses his short-range birdie attempt while Jarvis cans an 8-foot par save. That situation could have played out very differently indeed.

The South African retains his three-stroke advantage with four holes to go.

2026-02-22T10:39:36.892Z

LUCKY CASEY

A horrible tee shot out to the right on the 15th has put Jarvis in a pretty tricky position. Mind you, it could have been worse given there is OOB and a penalty area in the vicinity…

Trying to put the hammer down, Bryant misses a rare fairway out to the left.

2026-02-22T10:45:13.492Z

THREE DOWN TO TWO?

Is the three-horse race now down to two, I wonder? Francesco Laporta made a bit of a mess of the 15th and ends up with a bogey at a terrible time.

He drops from 20-under and three strokes behind to 19-under and four strokes behind – just as Jarvis finds himself in a spot of bother behind…

2026-02-22T10:51:54.625Z

WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE

Davis Bryant’s drive went off-target to the left and ended in the rough, but just in front of a small bush. What are the chances? Well, just ask us amateur golfers. It’s happened to all of us plenty of times.

However, unlike most of us, Bryant successfully clips his ball back onto the fairway with next to no backlift and then sends a wonderful approach to within eight feet for a remarkable par chance.

That could be massive as well because Jarvis is forced to punch out of the trees (this all sounds very familiar) before leaving himself 25 feet for a four as well.

The title race could change dramatically very soon…

2026-02-22T10:54:01.211Z

MISTAKE

Jarvis has missed, so the lead is down to two for the time being.

And it stays there as the American makes a brilliant four, all things considered. We have a title race again!

Davis Bryant makes an incredible par save whilst the leader Casey Jarvis makes bogey.The lead is just two with three holes to play.#MKO2026 pic.twitter.com/MzneaDLgQ2February 22, 2026

2026-02-22T10:58:49.634Z

WHAT A RESPONSE

Davis Bryant will not be rolling over, that much is obvious. The American sends a wonderful shot right next to the hole and has a great chance for another gain at the par-3 16th.

And is Casey Jarvis starting to crack? His tee shot at the par-3 hole is way out to the left, albeit still on the green. The chances of a one-shot lead for Jarvis after this hole appears strong, though, I have to say.

2026-02-22T11:01:35.116Z

GREAT TRY

Jarvis gives his birdie chance a good run, but it comes up just short and he takes the par. Now over to Bryant.

2026-02-22T11:02:42.329Z

BRYANT WITHIN ONE

And there it is! Davis Bryant rolls the four-footer home and he’s within one with two holes to go!

2026-02-22T11:07:57.883Z

CLOUDS ARE GATHERING

This is going to be so close in terms of finishing before the storms start again, I feel. The grey clouds are drawing closer as the final group makes its way down the 17th.

2026-02-22T11:13:11.006Z

HOOTER GOES AGAIN

Oh no! What timing! The leading group watch Hennie Du Plessis make a birdie on the green ahead to reach 19-under, but they are stuck in the fairway as the storms threaten to arrive once again.

🚨 Play suspended due to lightning 🚨#MKO2026 pic.twitter.com/fsNJ2gYdomFebruary 22, 2026

2026-02-22T11:36:16.435Z

NO UPDATE AS YET

There’s no update on a restart time just yet, but I’ve just seen the below post on X from the DP World Tour. You don’t have to be a qualified meteorologist to know that’s a problem for a golf tournament.

2026-02-22T11:40:01.851Z

JEENO WINS IN HOME COUNTRY

Elsewhere already today, Jeeno Thitikul won the Honda LPGA Thailand by a stroke from Chizzy Iwai to seal an emotional victory in her home country.

The World No.1 admitted the desire to win this event – which has the lowest total prize purse of the year – was sometimes as high as clinching her first Major.

Now that Thitikul has done this, can she finally break that Major curse in 2026. You’d be a brave fan to bet against her…

2026-02-22T11:46:16.680Z

GENESIS INVITATIONAL

Meanwhile, there is still more golf to look forward to this fine Sunday.

On the PGA Tour, the Tiger Woods-hosted Genesis Invitational has 18 holes to play at Riviera Country Club, with Jacob Bridgeman well ahead as it stands.

The 26-year-old might have a huge six-stroke lead, but he’s never won a pro event before and he has Rory McIlroy for company today. How well he deals with that will almost certainly dictate whether he can close this one out.

And what a first event it would be to win by the way. A $4 million winner’s check, a victory against the world’s best and in front of Tiger Woods. Almost unbelievable. Here are the final-round tee times.

2026-02-22T12:19:01.964Z

POSSIBLE RESTART TIME

There are apparently reports that we could be looking at a restart in 45 minutes’ time. 8am ET (1pm GMT). It’s not confirmed, though, according to the TV broadcast.

There has been some heavy rain in the area, so it could be a case of the tournament organizers asking the ground staff to dry out the final two holes and then looking for a window of an hour or so where there isn’t likely to be any more storms.

Fingers crossed.

2026-02-22T12:44:51.183Z

PLAY UPDATE

Another snappy restart. We will see play restart in six minutes’ time.

2026-02-22T12:46:31.249Z

PLAY TO RESTART SHORTLY

The delay has been almost two hours now, but the sun is back out and the DP World Tour is wasting no time is trying to wrap the Magical Kenya Open up. Play to restart at 7:50am ET (12:50pm GMT) with the final group halfway down the 17th.

🚨 PLAY IS SET TO RESUME AT 15:50 LOCAL TIME 🚨The final group is on hole 17 and with two holes to play, this is how it stands:🇿🇦 -22 Casey Jarvis🇺🇸 -21 Davis Bryant🇮🇹 -19 Francesco Laporta🇿🇦 -19 Hennie Du Plessis🇩🇰 -19 Jacob Skov Olesen#MKO2026 pic.twitter.com/iGjFCUDR4VFebruary 22, 2026

2026-02-22T12:52:26.954Z

BACK UNDERWAY (AGAIN)

The hooter goes again and we’re back underway (again).

Jarvis had a comfortable mid-iron shot from the middle of the fairway in front of him. He must have spent the latest warm-up time practicing this next shot over and over. And he’s done a fantastic job, dropping his ball into six feet right of the flag.

2026-02-22T12:54:19.252Z

BRYANT IN THE SAND

Yikes. From the rough on the right side, the American drops his approach into the claggy sand right next to the green. This will be tough.

But it’s almost a wonder shot in front of this huge crowd which has gathered, despite the unfavorable weather. Bryant clips his ball out of the sand and it runs out just past the flag. That might well be par saved, but Jarvis has a two-stroke lead if this putt drops….

2026-02-22T12:55:54.708Z

HUGE MOMENT

The South African takes advantage of his excellent approach by just about pushing his ball hard enough to reach the front edge of the hole. That’s a priceless birdie, giving him some breathing room heading down the par-5 18th.

Bryant pars 17 and knows it will be eagle or bust down the last.

2026-02-22T12:59:12.306Z

OUTRAGEOUS

Hennie Du Plessis almost gate-crashes the title party for Jarvis following a simply sublime drawn 6-iron into the 18th green. It lands inches away from the hole and stops dead, giving him an eagle putt that even I could make.

Currently in a three-way tie for third on 19-under, Davis Bryant is about to have company in second.

HENNIE DU PLESSIS ALMOST MAKES AN ALBATROSS AT THE 72ND HOLE! 🤯#MKO2026 pic.twitter.com/OTAfdXM8aHFebruary 22, 2026

2026-02-22T13:02:46.269Z

CLOSE SHAVE

Jarvis fires his drive low and left down the 18th, but it just scoots by some trees and rolls out through the damp rough into the fairway. He’ll be firing into the heart of the green from there. There’s no need to mess around with the flag, which is tight on the left side of the green.

Meanwhile, Bryant is in the rough down the left. That’s really not where you want to be firing at the green from, let alone the hole.

2026-02-22T13:06:31.575Z

EAGLE, NO EAGLE

After De Plessis taps in for eagle, Francesco Laporta can’t do the same. The Italian produces two amazing shots to reach the green in two, but his eagle putt is extremely disappointing and he’ll sign for a 65 which puts him in solo fourth on -20.

2026-02-22T13:09:07.930Z

LUCK RUN OUT

Bryant asks for a ruling after he finds his ball in a faint tyre mark down the left rough, but it’s no bueno from the referee as the marks are only superficial on the grass.

From 195 yards, the American can’t quite reach the correct level and he’ll have a really tough chip for eagle.

2026-02-22T13:10:35.710Z

JARVIS PUTS IT ON ICE

What a supreme shot that is under the circumstances! Jarvis draws his ball right into the heart of the green on the left side and leaves himself maybe 15 feet up the slope for the win. He should have two putts at the least, but he may only need one.

Casey Jarvis finds the 18th green in two and leaves a putt for eagle! 🤩#MKO2026 pic.twitter.com/YG74zbCiWnFebruary 22, 2026

2026-02-22T13:17:02.702Z

AYORA’S BRUTAL END

The Spaniard has not enjoyed a very nice final round, and his last full swing of the day hasn’t helped matters. He pulled it left and it required a little crowd management before chipping off a downslope with the pin short-sided.

He does a decent job and should escape with a par at worst.

2026-02-22T13:18:24.159Z

CASEY JARVIS WINS MAGICAL KENYA OPEN

What a way to win it! That’s incredible! Jarvis watches Bryant chip extremely close, but then knows he has three putts to lift the title. He does, in fact, only need one as he drains the eagle putt to send this amazing crowd into raptures.

A proper celebration as well. We love to see it.

Casey Jarvis eagles the 72nd hole to win by three in Kenya 🔥#MKO2026 pic.twitter.com/nk6kk50JYBFebruary 22, 2026

2026-02-22T13:28:26.108Z

BRYANT TAKES SOLO SECOND

To tidy up, Bryant holed his birdie try at the last to take solo second and rack up a few more dollars and points.

But, in the end, it was a three-stroke victory for Jarvis.

2026-02-22T13:28:41.273Z

WINNER

2026-02-22T13:40:52.791Z

HEAR FROM THE MAGICAL KENYA OPEN CHAMPION

“It’s amazing. I’ve never won in front of my dad before. I’ve wanted to win in front of him so badly. To finally do it when he’s here, I feel… I can’t explain to you the emotions I was feeling, I was so nervous coming down the last two holes. It feels great!” Casey Jarvis… pic.twitter.com/Gt4IBiaSVAFebruary 22, 2026

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