Kenya's Kibugu wins Sunshine Development Tour competition at Thika Golf Resort

Kenya's Njoroge Kibugu capped off a dominant performance with an incident-free round of 5-under par 67 to claim the title at the first leg of the Sunshine Development Tour East Africa Swing hosted at Thika Greens Golf Resort.

His three-day total of 15-under par 201 (64, 70, 67) saw him finish five shots clear of the chasing pack and walk away with the Sh400,000 winner’s cheque.

The 21-year-old delivered a composed round on the final day, playing a steady front nine with a birdie at the par-5 fourth, before switching gears on the back nine with birdies at the 10th, 14th, 16th, and 17th holes.

Speaking after his win, Njoroge said:

"It feels great to kick off the season with a win. It was definitely tough going into the back nine as Celestin was right on my heels. But I managed to hold strong and pull through. There were definitely a few nerves, especially when the putts weren’t dropping early on. I just kept reminding myself to stay patient. Eventually, they started falling, especially in the final five holes, and that really helped seal the round."

He added, "Winning always feels amazing. It doesn’t come often in golf. Having my friends and fellow pros there to watch made it even more special. It’s a great start to the year."

Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera, the Qualifying School winner in March, mounted a spirited challenge throughout the week, returning a final round of 4-under par 68 to finish second on 10-under par, 206 (73, 65, 68), and take home Sh214,000.

Reflecting on his performance, Celestin said: "I gave it my best throughout the week. Today, I came out strong on the front nine and managed to close the gap. I was only two shots behind at the turn and really tried to keep my pace on the back nine. My game is improving here in Kenya, and I’m happy with my performance. The goal now is to keep working hard and break into the top 40 on the Sunshine Development Tour."

Sigona Golf Club’s John Wangai, President of the Professional Golfers of Kenya, closed with a strong 4-under par 68 for a total of 8-under par 208 (73, 67, 68) to finish third.

Speaking after his round, Wangai, who earned Sh144,700 for his exploits, said: "It’s been a solid week. I made a few swing changes at the end of last year, and I’m starting to see the results now. My iron play was strong throughout, and although I struggled a bit with putting early in the week, I managed to turn that around today. Being the final round, I knew there was no room for recovery, so I pushed myself hard and was pleased with the finish."

Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s John Lejirma finished as the highest-ranked amateur in the tournament, returning to a final round of 3-under par 69 for a total of 5-under par 211 (71, 71, 69).

Veteran Kakamega Golf Club pro Dismas Indiza posted a solid final round of 3-under par 69 to close the tournament at 4-under par 212 (70, 73, 69), securing a top-five finish.

There was a three-way tie for sixth at 3-under par 213, with Daniel Nduva (Nyali Golf Club), David Wakhu (Golf Park), and Edwin Mudanyi (Karen Country Club) sharing the honours.

Golf Park’s Jacob Okello (2-under), Ndumberi Golf Club’s leading amateur Michael Karanga (1-under), and Erick Obura (Golf Park, 1-under) were the other players to finish the tournament in red figures.

"I want to laud the organizers for putting this together, we have been lacking such a tour for a while. Discussions are already underway on how we can make this tour as a qualifier for the Kenya Open," said Kenya Open Golf Limited's Director, Patrick Obath after the tournament.

The Sunshine Development Tour East Africa Swing now moves to Ruiru Sports Club for the second leg, which will take place from June 9th to 11th, 2025, as regional professionals and elite amateurs look to build on their performances in pursuit of Sunshine Tour points, Big Easy Tour opportunities, and Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) recognition.