Kakamega Sports Club’s seasoned pro Dismas Indiza staged a thrilling comeback to edge out Royal Nairobi’s John Lejirma in a sudden-death playoff and clinch victory in the Ruiru leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing.
Starting the final round five shots off the lead, Indiza capitalized on Lejirma’s early struggles to post a level-par 72 and tie at 4-under par 212 after regulation play.
The playoff was decided at the par-4 18th, where Indiza drained a birdie putt while Lejirma settled for par, sealing the win and the KES 400,000 winner’s cheque from the KES 2 million prize pool.
Indiza was in fine form early, carding birdies on holes 2, 6, 8, and 9, offset by a single bogey on 7.
The back nine tested his resilience, with back-to-back bogeys on 12 and 13, but he rallied with clutch birdies on 16 and 17 to force the playoff.
“It feels great to win again. I stayed patient, especially when things got tough in the middle of the round. I knew if I kept giving myself chances, something would eventually click,” said Indiza.
“The playoff was about composure, and I’m proud I delivered when it mattered. This win means a lot, especially with so many talented young players and amateurs on the tour.”
Lejirma, who held a commanding five-shot lead heading into the final day, endured a disastrous start with two double bogeys in his opening three holes.
A bogey on the 4th saw his lead evaporate, though a birdie at 7 offered brief hope.
He added another birdie on 14, but bogeys on 16 and 17 led to a 5-over par 77, opening the door for Indiza’s comeback.
“It was a tough day. I didn’t start well and made some costly errors. I tried to fight back but couldn’t quite regain momentum. Full credit to Indiza, he played solidly and deserved the win. I’ll take the positives from this and keep building,” admitted Lejirma.
Sharing third place at 1-under par 215 were Rizwan Charania and Samuel Njoroge.
Charania delivered a steady final round, posting 18 straight pars for an even-par 72.
Njoroge, who had started the day at 3-under, faltered with a 2-over par 74.
“It was a steady week. I focused on minimizing mistakes and staying patient. The course played fair but demanded good course management. Tying for third is a solid result heading into the next events,” said Charania.
Brothers Mutahi Kibugu and Njoroge Kibugu tied for fifth at even-par 216.
Mutahi surged up the leaderboard with a brilliant bogey-free 6-under 66, highlighted by birdies on 6, 8, 9, and 15.
Njoroge, the Thika Greens leg winner, had birdies on 3, 11, and 18, but was set back by bogeys on 2 and 9, plus a double bogey on 11.
Rwanda’s Celestine Nsanzuwera claimed seventh place as the top-ranked international player, finishing at 1-over par 217 after an impressive final-round 4-under 68—one of the lowest rounds of the day.
In the women’s field, Vipingo Ridge’s Naom Wafula continued to impress, finishing eighth overall with a total score of 2-over par 218.
Her steady performance throughout the week reinforced her status as one of the region’s rising stars.
“I’m happy with my consistency this week My focus was to stay in control and give myself scoring chances. It’s a great feeling to finish inside the top 10 in a field this competitive,” said Wafula.
Adding to the excitement, Professional Golfers of Kenya Chairman John Wangai scored a hole-in-one on the par-3 11th hole, the second ace of the tournament following Eugine Wafula’s during the opening round.
The Ruiru leg concluded another exciting chapter of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, offering players a vital opportunity to earn Sunshine Tour and Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points as the regional circuit continues to gain momentum.