Will regional players finally claim their maiden Barclays Bank Kenya Open golf title, which is part of the European Challenge Tour? The event gets under way from April 9 to 12 this year at Karen Country Club in Nairobi, Kenya.

Expectations are high, but analysts are doubtful about whether the players have what it takes to turn the tables on their rivals.

Jacob Okello from Kenya is one of only three players with a decent chance. He came close to winning the championship in 1998, only to lose to Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez in the play-off after the two players tied on 12 under par 272 apiece.

The long hitting Dismas Indiza, who has dominated recent regional events and also graced South Africa’s Sunshine Tour, is another favourite from Kenya alongside youngster Greg Snow, who recently had a good run in a series of Challenge Tour events in Europe.

Snow and Indiza are the only regional players who made the cut last year in a pool of 25 professionals. Snow finished 10th place with six-under par 282 as Indiza wound up 13th on five-under par 283.

Snow finished three shots behind winner Jake Roos, who became the fourth South African to win the Kenya Open title after Michiel Bothma (2011), Ashley Roestoff (2001) and Trevor Immelman (2000).

Uganda’s top professional Deo Adope and newcomer Philip Kasozi will represent Uganda with Akope set to make his seventh appearance at the Kenya Open and his fourth as a professional. Rwanda’s Jean-Batiste Hakizimana will be making his third return to the Kenya Open, having failed to make the cut last year.

Okello, who is now the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) president, said there is hope for a regional winner this time because of the warm-up events, which have increased since January.

Kenyan players have not only been the major beneficiaries, having had the opportunity to play in 10 events since January, but have also returned credible scores.

Kenya Airways has been of great help to the golfers by sponsoring six events. Kenya Commercial Bank has held one event and Barclays Bank two.

Jamii Telecom also came up with one that was used as a qualifying event for the Kenya Open.

Snow has had a good build-up since his last Kenya Open, by taking part in four tour events in Belgium in June last year and Switzerland, Slovakia and France in July. He moved to the Mena Tour in Dubai where he took part in five events.

The 24-year-old Snow, missed three cuts but made one in the Challenge Tour event in Slovakia, where he finished 44th in a tie on six-under par 282. Snow made it in the five Mena Tour events, finishing 15th in one.

He also participated in the British Open qualifiers in June last year without success. “My goal is to win this year’s Kenya Open but that will mainly depend on the weather over the four days and the condition of the course, especially the pin and the greens,” said Snow, who will be making his 10th appearance at Kenya Open — his fifth as a pro.

Snow said exposure is the key to performing well in such high profile events. “Playing locally, meeting the same players can’t improve someone’s game. We need to get exposed to different environments, courses and weather for much-needed experience.”

Indiza has graced the Kenya Open for the past 19 years, and as a pro from 1999. He has taken part in several regional and Southern African events in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, in the past one year, and said that the standards of the game won’t improve with only a few playing outside the region.

“While there is a notable increase in events, bursting the regional bubble in droves is the key to further advancement,” said Indiza, who led David Wakhu and John Wangai for the Sunshine Tour events of Dimension Data and Johannesburg Open in February this year.

“The regional players also need to know how to handle the pressure to avoid collapse,” Indiza said, adding “The erratic display of players returning good scores in the first round then collapsing in the second round is a clear indication of poor game management, which should be tackled.”

Tournament director Patrick Obath said there is chance of a regional player winning if enough of them make the cut. “We would like to see at least eight making the cut then we can have one of them possibly winning,” said Obath, who expects 156 players including six amateurs taking to the course at this year’s Kenya Open. They include 26 regional professionals and 106 from the Challenge Tour ranking.