March 14-17
Karen Country Club, Nairobi, Kenya
€1,100,000
Live leaderboard
Round 1, Round 2, Round 3

Guido Migliozzi held his nerve to claim a maiden European Tour title after carding a closing round of 69 to win the Magical Kenya Open presented by Absa.

© Getty Images

"I like the pressure, it's like a drug. I love pressure, I love playing with a lot of people looking at me and a lot of cameras. Obviously I played with Adri Arnaus and we had a beautiful match together yesterday, it was like match play and today was a great battle."

The Italian, who became a European Tour member for the first time in November last year after progressing through Qualifying School, started the day in a tie for the lead with fellow rookie Adri Arnaus, and the pair exchanged blows throughout an enthralling final day in Nairobi.

It was the 22 year old who would prevail though delivering when it mattered most by hitting the pin with his approach to the 18th to set up a two-putt par which saw him triumph by one shot.

"Yesterday I went to the left at the 18th with a two iron, today a four iron to be sure to not go left, and I had the perfect distance for an eight iron, it was really nice. Easy two putts to win.

"I enjoyed the last two days very much. The pressure was a lot and I'm happy about how I'm playing under pressure, also with my putting game that I worked a lot on.

"I would like to thank every part of my team."

Finishing one behind Migliozzi was Arnaus and South Africans Louis de Jager and Justin Harding. Following his Qatar Masters victory last week, Harding was firmly in contention right down to the wire in the Kenyan capital, thanks to a five under par final round of 66.

"I think I'm probably still going to have to have a decent result come the Match Play but I've at least given myself a decent shot at Augusta," said Harding.

"I thought I played quite nicely. Didn't get everything out of the front nine, couple of bad chips on six and seven which were naughty, but gave myself a chance coming down the stretch.

"It was another good week, pretty pleased. I battled, probably from hole one, with club selection and the wind swirling around so to have come out and posted 15 under, I'm pleased.

"I had a good week last week and another one this week so I'm sitting quite nicely first season on the European Tour."

Setting a new course record at Karen Country Club was Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, who ended a nine-week stretch away from his native Scotland with a scintillating eight under par round of 63.

"I'm absolutely delighted. I didn't really expect that after the way I've been playing but I just went out with complete freedom and managed to get it round in eight under.

"I jus t can't wait to get home and see the family, the two foster kids Dan and Tom, it's just so relaxing back in Oban, everything about it.

"It just wasn't feeling natural and today I went out there and made myself feel free and it just worked.

"I've got the game to go and shoot these numbers as I showed today, it's just playing with freedom and that's what I did today. That's the way I've got to try and get my mindset for the rest of the year."