East African golfers have made impressive strides on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) following the recently concluded Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing events held at Thika Greens Golf Resort and Ruiru Sports Club, where valuable world ranking points were up for grabs.
The two tournaments featured a competitive field of top professionals and elite amateurs from six countries — Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, and South Africa — with all players who made the cut earning OWGR points.
Among the standout performers were Kenya’s Dismas Indiza, Njoroge Kibugu, elite amateur John Lejirma, and Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera, all of whom have broken into the top 3,000 in the world after just two events.
A total of ten players – Celestin, Indiza, Njoroge, Lejirma, CJ Wangai, Samuel Njoroge, Rizwan Charania, elite amateur Elvis Muigua, Jacob Okello, and Uganda’s Ainamana Abraham – have moved more than 1,000 places in the rankings.
Leading the surge is Kakamega Sports Club’s veteran pro Dismas Indiza, who jumped an astonishing 2,241 places to reach 2,354th globally after winning a dramatic playoff against Lejirma at Ruiru.
The Ruiru event carried a 0.97020 field rating, with Indiza earning 29.54 percent of the OWGR points, amounting to 0.28661 points—his first ranking points in nine years since 2016.
The Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing is the only tour in East and Central Africa that awards OWGR points.
These points are crucial for players seeking access to higher-tier tours such as the Sunshine Tour, the DP World Tour, and the PGA Tour.
Additionally, OWGR points serve as the exclusive qualification pathway to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.
Olympic qualification is based on OWGR standings, with the top 15 players earning automatic slots.
Further spots are allocated to the highest-ranked players from each country, with a limit of two players per nation outside the top 15.
Speaking after his return to the world rankings, Indiza said: “This is a great moment for me. Getting back into the world rankings after so many years shows that hard work and consistency still pay off. The Sunshine Development Tour has created a real platform for us in this region, and I’m motivated to keep climbing.”
Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s John Lejirma, currently Africa’s fourth-highest ranked elite male amateur, also made a notable move.
He earned 0.13184 points for his second-place finish in Ruiru, placing him 2,710th globally—the first OWGR points of his amateur career.
“It feels great to see myself in the world rankings,” Lejirma said.
“This tour has changed the game for players like me. I’ve learned so much these past few weeks, and it gives me more belief that we can compete at the global level.”
Other debutants in the OWGR include Rizwan Charania of Windsor and Samuel Njoroge of Kenya Railway Golf Club, who each earned 0.07208 points to debut at 3,244th.
Brothers, Mutahi Kibugu and Njoroge Kibugu, who tied for fifth at Ruiru, also made substantial gains.
Mutahi moved up 949 places to 3,343rd, while Njoroge rose from 3,523rd to 2,374th.
Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera continued his strong season with a second-place finish at Thika and seventh at Ruiru, earning his place at 2,895th on the world ranking.
“Earning world ranking points is something we’ve always dreamed of,” Nsanzuwera said.
“It’s exciting to see Rwandan and East African golfers being recognized on the world stage. It motivates us to push even harder.”
Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing Promoter Charles Gacheru praised the players’ ranking progress as a clear sign the tour is fulfilling its purpose.
“This is exactly what we envisioned when launching the East Africa Swing. To see players from across the region earning OWGR points for the first time in their careers is historic,” Gacheru said.
“These rankings reflect not just personal achievements, but the rise of a competitive regional golf ecosystem. We truly believe this tour will offer African golfers a golden opportunity to qualify for the Olympics and represent their nations on the global stage.”
