Premium
90 golfers to battle in Sunshine Development Tour
Rwanda's Celestin Nsanzuwera lifs the title after winning the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing Qualifying School (Q-School) tournament at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort in Naivasha on April 3, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Nandi Bears Golf Captain Isaac Kuto stated that preparations are in top gear to ensure a successful tournament.
- “This is the sixth time Nandi Bears is hosting the series, and we promise an unparalleled golfing experience for all those who will attend,” said Kuto on Friday.
A field of 90 golfers will battle it out in the first leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, which tees off at Thika Greens Golf Resort on Tuesday.
The mixed field, which is comprised of professionals and elite amateurs, will feature players from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and South Africa. The players will be playing through 54 holes for a stake of Sh2 million.
The field will be led by Kigali Golf Resort and Villa’s Celestin Nsanzuwera, who clinched the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing Qualifying School (Q-School), at the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort on April 3.
Other notable players will be Windsor Golf Club’s Njoroge Kibugu, who was the best-placed Kenyan at the final Q-School event in South Africa on April 11.
Others in the field include Vipingo Golf Resort’s Naomi Wafula, three-time Kenya Ladies Open winner, Joyce Wanjiru, and the current KAGC top three ranked amateurs, John Lejirmah, Michael Karanga and Elvis Muigua.
Kenya’s seasoned pros, Greg Snow, Dismas Indiza, Jacob Okello, Rizwan Charania and David Wakhu will also be in the field, alongside Uganda’s Ronald Rugumayo, Tanzania's Nuru Mollel and Isaac Wanyeche, who are expected to lead the regional charge.
Taking up the invitational slots from South Africa’s Big Easy Tour are Travis Ladner, Reece Mckain, and Jonathan Ackerman.
There will be a cut after 36 holes, where the survivors will then proceed to the final round, where the winner will walk away with Sh400,000.
From Thika Greens, the second leg of the tour will move to the Ruiru Sports Club from June 9 to 11, where players will play for a similar prize kitty. The rest of the events on the tour will be announced later.
The Sunshine Tour, one of the premier professional golf tours globally, officially expanded its footprint into Kenya and the East African region with the introduction of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing in March.
This series is designed to provide a pathway for professional golfers and elite amateurs to compete in regular, high-caliber tournaments aligned with Sunshine Tour standards.
Elsewhere, the ninth edition of the ICEA LION ‘King of the Course’ Series heads to Nandi Bears this weekend with a field of 140 golfers from Machakos, Thika Greens, Ruiru, and Nanyuki Golf Clubs expected.
Nandi Bears Golf Captain Isaac Kuto stated that preparations are in top gear to ensure a successful tournament.
“This is the sixth time Nandi Bears is hosting the series, and we promise an unparalleled golfing experience for all those who will attend,” said Kuto on Friday.