DEFENDING CHAMPION: Inaugural event.

COURSE: The players will be far more comfortable with the par-71 Karen Country Club having played the Kenya Open here just last week.

Measuring to the same yardage of 6,921 yards, the relatively flat layout uses water hazards and bunkering primarily to challenge the players, while the sticky couch grass surrounds proved difficult to chip from for much of the field last week.

PRIZEMONEY: EUR 1,000,000.

PLAYERS TO WATCH …

The winner of the Kenya Open last week, Justin Harding is the obvious choice to keep an eye on this week.

Harding closed with a bogey-free 66 on Sunday, with all parts of his game on song on the way to his second European Tour win and clearly has found a venue that suits his eye in the form of Karen Country Club.

The short turnaround from a Sunday finish to Tuesday start after everything that comes with winning could be an issue, but Harding is at least outwardly energetic to get going again this week.

“I’m actually going to enjoy it,” Harding said. “It’s exciting, obviously I’ve been playing well and it gives me an opportunity to keep going.

“I think it will be good. I will probably still feel like I won the day before when I tee up on Tuesday, but I like Kenya, I’ve had an unbelievable run of success here and it's just a nice place to be.”

RIGHT: Justin Harding won just two days ago at the same venue and will look to continue his momentum at Karen Country Club. PHOTO: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images.

Last week’s runner-up, American Kurt Kitayama, has made every cut so far this year on the European Tour and his second place last week was his fourth straight top-10 finish.

Kitayama, like Harding, clearly found Karen Country Club to suit his eye and his length and accurate ball striking should once again hold him in good stead as he searches for a third win on Tour.

Queenslander Scott Hend was in the mix for much of last week before a Sunday 73 saw him slip down the leaderboard to a share of 16th. But rest assured, Hend won’t be dwelling on Sunday’s disappointment once he steps up on the first tee.

Hend admitted on Twitter that his putter deserted him in the last round where he struggled to get anything going, but his ever-present love of playing tournament golf and seemingly positive attitude towards a second week in Kenya suggests he might go better this week.

72-HOLE RECORD: There is no tournament record for this new event, however, Harding owns the Kenya Open record from his victory at Karen Country Club last week, where he reached 21-under (263).

AUSTRALIANS IN THE FIELD: Maverick Antcliff and Scott Hend.

TV TIMES*
Round 1: Tuesday (Fox Sports 503 LIVE 9pm – 2am)
Round 2: Wednesday (Fox Sports 503 LIVE 9pm – 2am)
Round 3: Thursday (Fox Sports 503 LIVE 8:30pm – 1am)
Round 4: No scheduled coverage.
*AEDT, check local guides