A strong field of 90 golfers has confirmed participation in the opening leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing at Thika Greens Golf Resort.
The tournament tees off on Tuesday, June 3, and runs through Thursday, June 5, 2025.
This inaugural leg features a competitive mix of professionals and elite amateurs from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and South Africa.
The 54-hole stroke play event boasts a total prize purse of KES 2 million, with the winner set to take home KES 400,000.
A cut off mark will be applied after 36 holes to determine who proceeds to the final round.
Leading the field is Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera of Kigali Golf Resort & Villas, who clinched top honours at the East Africa Swing Qualifying School (Q-School) held at the Great Rift Valley Lodge.
He will face tough competition from Njoroge Kibugu of Windsor Golf Club, Kenya’s top finisher at the final Q-School event in South Africa.
Seasoned Kenyan professionals such as Greg Snow, Dismas Indiza, Jacob Okello, Rizwan Charania, and David Wakhu are also in the mix.
Uganda’s Ronald Rugumayo and Tanzania’s Nuru Mollel and Isaac Wanyeche are expected to headline the regional challenge.
The amateur contingent will be led by John Lejirma, Michael Karanga, and Elvis Muigua, currently the top three on the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship (KAGC) leaderboard.
On the women’s side, Naomi Wafula of Vipingo Ridge and three-time Kenya Ladies Open champion Joyce Wanjiru will be in action.
South Africa’s Big Easy Tour has sent in three invitational players—Travis Ladner, Reece McKain, and Jonathan Ackerman. adding an international edge to the high-stakes showdown.
Commenting on the strong entry list, East Africa Swing tour promoter Charles Gacheru said they are thrilled by the enthusiastic response from players across the continent.
“The turnout is encouraging, and we look forward to an exciting three days of golf as we officially launch the East Africa Swing at Thika Greens,” he said.
After Thika, the tour will move to Ruiru Sports Club for its second stop from June 9 to 11, with a similar prize purse on offer.
The Sunshine Tour, one of the premier professional golf tours globally, officially expanded its footprint into Kenya and the East African region with the launch of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing in March.
This series aims to provide a pathway for professional golfers and elite amateurs to compete in regular, high-caliber tournaments aligned with Sunshine Tour standards.
The tour teed off with a Q-School event held from March 31 to April 3, 2025, at Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort in Naivasha, where Celestin Nsanzuwera emerged as the winner of the KES 1 million event.
The events on this tour not only offer Sunshine Development Tour points but also opportunities to play in South Africa’s Big Easy Tour, in addition to earning Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points—opening doors for local and regional players to climb the global golfing ladder.
