A blaring hooter cut through the tension of a $2.75 million showdown at the 2026 Magical Kenya Open. Officials halted play just as the final round reached its boiling point, instructing golfers to mark their balls and clear the fairways. The spectators also scrambled for cover. And just like that, what was shaping up to be a dramatic finish suddenly stalled.

“🚨 PLAY SUSPENDED 🚨 Round four is suspended due to lightning in the local area. #MKO2026,” the DP World Tour updated through an X post.

The Magical Kenya Open is underway at the Karen Country Club from February 19 to February 22, 2026. After a hiatus of five long years, the historic course returned once again to the event’s rotation.

Fans were excited to see the strong field compete to get the winner’s paycheck. But before the final-round showdown ended, the weather affected play. The on-course commentator reflected the severity of the nearby lightning in his urgent remarks.

“Safely aboard. But there go the Hooters. Just as Casey Jarvis makes his move there on 12. Play has been suspended for a dangerous situation with lightning surrounding Karen Country Club at the moment. Yeah, mark your golf ball and get into the clubhouse and all the spectators will find some cover if you can,” the commentator said in the video accompanying the X post.

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“There’s no option in dangerous play. You just get out of there. Jamie, if you’ve been out here often enough, you know what lightning storms can be like in Africa when it builds up. Just get all of them off to safety, please.”

Reports indicate that many golfers had only completed two-thirds of their last round when the hooter sounded. At the time of suspension, South African Casey Jarvis held the lead with a score of 22 under par. Several other high-profile contenders, including Davis Bryant (-20), Francesco Laporta (-19), and Hennie Du Plessis (-19), are closely following Jarvis.

Jarvis is chasing his maiden DP World Tour title. After turning pro in 2022, his first professional victory came in 2023 at the Euram Bank Open on the European Challenge Tour. He currently ranks 24th on the Race to Dubai rankings with 305.25 points across 5 events. The numbers reflect his strong golf skills. However, he is yet to win his maiden title on the DP World Tour. Now, he has a chance, but only time will tell if the weather affects his game or if he marches on to win the event.

All golf organizations take lightning very seriously because of the serious risks it poses. Hence, the decision was taken keeping past incidents in mind, protecting both players and spectators from injuries.

Golfers and spectators injured by lightning

One of the recent incidents of this kind occurred at the 2019 PGA Tour’s Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Amidst the play, lightning struck a 60-foot pine. It was near the 16th tee. Because of bad weather, the tour had already suspended play. However, it injured six spectators.

It was not the lightning itself, but the flying debris that caused the injuries. Five of them were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Something similar happened at the 1991 PGA Championship. This time, it was a direct lightning strike to a 39-year-old spectator from Indiana. Because of the direct strike, the spectator died. This marked a tragic incident in the history of the PGA Tour.

Golfers are not spared either. Lightning struck golf legend Lee Trevino, along with Jerry Heard and Bobby Nichols, in 1975 at the Western Open. The group was playing at the 13th hole when  Trevino suffered severe spinal damage. This led to many surgeries, too, but he still managed 8 PGA Tour wins after that.

Incidents like these explain why officials at the Magical Kenya Open wasted no time clearing the course. Lightning was closing in on Karen Country Club, so there was no choice. Safety remains the priority on both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. Players are now waiting to resume a finish that still hangs in the balance.