Dismas Indiza, Njoroge Kibugu and John Lejirma will be chasing history as they aim to crack the top 1,000 of the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) during the Sunshine Development Tour’s Coastal Region swing in August.
Currently ranked 2,354, Indiza leads the Kenyan charge, with Lejirma and Kibugu sitting at 2,710 and 3,343, respectively. With OWGR points up for grabs in the coastal region tour, the door is wide open for the trio to leap into elite territory.
“This Tour has already enabled Dismas Indiza to move over 2,000 positions on the Official World Golf Ranking, and we believe that after the Coast leg, Indiza, Njoroge Kibugu and John Lejirma will be close to breaking into the top 1,000 in the world, a first for our country," said Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing Promoter Charles Gacheru.
The Sunshine Development Tour is the only OWGR-sanctioned series in East Africa. It offers a stepping stone to global recognition and it’s also a vital pathway to Olympic qualification and entry into some of the world’s most competitive tours.
The third and fourth legs of the Tour will tee off at Nyali Golf & Country Club (August 4–6) and Diamonds Leisure Beach & Golf Resort (August 9–11), drawing a field of elite male and female professionals and amateurs from across East, West and Southern Africa, including South Africa’s Big Easy Tour regulars.
Each event will feature 54 holes of stroke play, offering OWGR and World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points and a Sh2 million prize purse per leg. Indiza, the veteran big-hitter, currently tops the Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit with 280.35 points.
Hot on his heels are Kibugu (275.78) and Lejirma (255), making for an electrifying contest on the leaderboard.
Other international headliners expected in the mix include Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera, Uganda’s Ronald Rugumayo, Tanzania’s Nuru Mollel and Nigeria’s Sunday Abimbola. The women’s draw will be led by newly turned professional Naomi Wafula of Vipingo Ridge, who is tipped to shine as she takes on her first pro events since making the transition.
Gacheru emphasised that while prize money is a major draw, the real value of the Tour lies in its long-term vision.
“The Tour isn’t just about prize money, it is more about offering players a clearly defined pathway to the global world of golf. This is the only Tour in East Africa that provides a structured and defined pathway to events such as the Olympic Games.”
