All set for the sixth Sunshine Development Tour
Reading Time: 4min | Mon. 13.10.25. | 12:00
The 54-hole event will see the top 30 players and ties making the cut after the second round to contest the final day on Wednesday, 15 October
All is set for the sixth leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, the Johnnie Walker Classic, which tees off on Monday, 13, October, at the Royal Nairobi Golf Club.
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The highly-anticipated event, featuring a Ksh2 million prize purse, will see a strong field of 82 professional and elite amateur golfers from across Africa battle for top honours, world ranking points, and a share of the prize money.
The event also marks the first time the Tour is being staged at Royal Nairobi Golf Club, one of the oldest and most prestigious courses in the region.
As part of the tournament build-up, the venue hosted a ProAm on Saturday, 11 October, attracting a total of 186 players, including 34 professionals and 152 amateurs.
The Pro-Am served as both a curtain-raiser and a celebration of community engagement in the sport, giving amateur golfers the unique opportunity to play alongside some of the region’s top professionals.
The day belonged to Rose Wanjiru (handicap 31), who put in a composed and consistent performance to emerge as the overall winner with 42 points, finishing ahead of a strong field.
Fred Kithinzi, playing off handicap 19, was in fine form as well, taking home the men’s title with 40 points, finishing ahead of Lawrence Njue (hcp 13) who finished as the men’s runner-up after carding 38 points.
Betty Maina (handicap 31) produced an equally impressive round to claim the ladies’ crown with 40 points, beating Jinnel Mwangi taking the ladies’ runner-up position with 39 points.
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At the same time, Isiah Masinde and Liqing Yang won the First and Second Nine Challenges respectively, after strong performances across their halves of the course.
The long-hitting Fred Mugambi won the men’s longest drive, while professional golfer Naom Wafula claimed the ladies’ longest drive honours.
Kennedy Gachanja showed great precision to take the nearest-to-the-pin prize.
In the team’s category, the combination of Pro Kibirige Marvin, Kevin Juma, Patrick Musimba, and Felix Midikira took top honours with an impressive 84 points, edging out Pro Philip Kasozi’s team of Philemon Kipkemoi, Fred Mugambi, and Lesley Mugambi, who posted 81 points.
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Finishing third with the same total were Pro Celestin Nsanzuwera, Michael Mutiga, Victor Kyalo, and Charles Gacheru, whose steady teamwork and consistency rounded off the podium places.
Speaking after the Pro-Am, Tournament Gacheru, Promoter of the Sunshine Development Tour, East Africa Swing said the Pro-Am had been an exciting prelude to the main tournament.
"The Pro-Am provides a unique opportunity for amateur golfers to share the fairways with top professionals from across Africa. Since our launch earlier this year, we have hosted successful events in Thika Greens, Ruiru, Nyali, Diani, and Kigali, and now we are proud to bring the sixth leg to Royal Nairobi Golf Club.
The Tour provides a clear pathway for our golfers, both professional and elite amateurs, to earn Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points, helping them transition to higher-tier tours such as the Sunshine Tour and eventually the global stage,” Gacheru said.
The Royal event has received significant backing from Johnnie Walker, which holds the title naming rights for this leg, and from Vivo Energy Kenya, the official sponsor of the Royal tournament.
The Johnnie Walker Classic officially tees off on Monday, 13, October, featuring a talented field of 82 golfers from Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Nigeria, Burundi, and South Africa.
Among those expected to challenge for the title are Nsanzuwera (Rwanda), current leader of the SDT–EAS Order of Merit with 789 points and recent winner of the Kigali leg; Njoroge Kibugu and Dismas Indiza from Kenya; Visitor Mapwanya from Zimbabwe; Adam Breen and Haydn Porteous from South Africa, and Kasozi from Uganda.
The women’s field also promises excitement, with Naom, Angel Eaton, Margaret Njoki, Ashley Awuor, and Kellie Gachaga among those expected to feature, a reflection of the Tour’s growing commitment to inclusivity and women’s participation in professional golf.
The 54-hole event will see the top 30 players and ties making the cut after the second round to contest the final day on Wednesday, 15 October 2025.
