Aurora’s Davis Bryant finishes second in Kenya Open

Bryant shoots final round 64 for best finish yet as touring professional

By Jim Bebbington

Aurora’s Davis Bryant came this close Sunday to the first major-tour win of his professional career.

Bryant shot a final round 64 in this weekend’s DP World Tour event, the Kenya Open, and finished second. South African Casey Jarvis held Bryant off by shooting a final round 62 at the Karen Country Club in Nairobi.

Just two weeks ago Bryant missed the cut in the Qatar Masters and finished nearly in last place, his lowest finish in his two-year career on the DP World Tour. After a week break, the Tour moved to Kenya and Bryant shot rounds of 67, 63, 64 and Sunday’s 64. Bryant had only two bogeys in the tournament.

“Definitely a huge week for me professionally and puts me in a great spot for the rest of the season to achieve bigger goals,” Bryant wrote Monday in a text from Kenya.

Bryant and Jarvis were tied for the lead through 11 holes Sunday, but Jarvis made two eagles on the back nine to pull ahead.

With his second-place finish Bryant earned $296,000, his largest professional golf paycheck yet. His previous best week was winning the 2024 Colorado Open and $100,000 at his home course of Green Valley Ranch Golf Course.

The DP World Tour – formerly the European Tour – is arguably the world’s second most competetive tour, behind only the PGA Tour. Through a season-long points process top 10 finishers there for the season earn their PGA Tour cards for the next year.

Bryant is also getting hot at just the right time. The winner of the DP World Tour’s next tournament, the South Africa Open Feb. 26 to March 2, earns an invitation to The Masters in April.

He said there was not any one dramatic reason for his improved play as compared to his missed-cut in Qatar. “(I) simply just played better and the course definitely suited my eye a lot more as well.”

Jim Bebbington is the editor of Colorado AvidGolfer. Reach him at [email protected]

Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.

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