Resilient Kibugu overcomes shaky start to win Sunshine Development Tour

Njoroge Kibugu overcame a nervous start to claim victory at the seventh leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, held at VetLab Sports Club.

The win marks Kibugu’s record third title in the Tour’s inaugural season, cementing his position as one of Kenya’s most consistent and promising players on the regional circuit.

The Windsor Golf & Country Club professional, who began the day tied for the lead with John Wangai, endured a shaky opening stretch, dropping shots on the 1st, 5th, and 6th holes.

However, the 21-year-old kept his composure, picking crucial birdies on the 8th and 9th to steady his round at the turn.

On the back nine, he delivered a composed and confident performance, sinking birdies on the 12th, 13th, 15th, and 16th to post a final-round score of 3-under-par 69, bringing his tournament total to 10-under-par 206, enough to secure a two-shot victory.

“It feels great coming in off a playoff loss in the last SDT leg at Royal. I'm happy to have made it across the line this time, and I am grateful.

“At the start, I had a few unlucky breaks, but I tried to keep my head in the game because I knew I was hitting the ball well.

“Once I gave myself chances and hit the greens, it was time for the putts to drop.

“On the back nine stretch, I just tried to hit the fairways, and I knew I had to trust my wedges, and I am happy.

“I would ask my caddie for the scores just to know my situation. Going into hole 12, I knew we were two behind and needed to get two back.

“I birdied holes 12 and 13 and went into the last hole with a two-stroke lead, and all I needed was to make par.”

For his outstanding performance, Kibugu took home KSh. 400,000 from the KSh. 2 million prize purse.

In second place was John Wangai, who entered the final round as co-leader. The Sigona Golf Club professional and current Chairman of the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) played a steady round, opting for a conservative approach.

He carded birdies on the 4th, 15th, and 17th, and bogeys on the 3rd and 14th to close at 1-under-par 71, finishing with a tournament total of 8-under-par 208.

Speaking after his round, Wangai said, “I am happy to finish second. This is my best finish in the SDT; previously, I had achieved third place. Today was a tough day because I started badly, but I recovered towards the end.

“My next goal now is to win it. I had so many missed putts in the first nine holes, and I believe that is where I probably lost it.

“If I putted well, I might have taken it, but I am content with second position. I was conservative on the first nine but decided to go all out in the back nine.”

Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera continued his impressive run on the Tour, finishing third on 7-under-par 209.

Nsanzuwera had briefly led the field during the final round, but late bogeys on the 16th and 18th saw him slip from the top spot.

His final-round 1-under-par 71 capped a strong week that showcased the growing competitiveness of regional golfers.

After his round, Nsanzuwera said, “It is a good result in the tournament, although I made some mistakes.

“My game plan was going well until hole 16, when I made a bogey, then another on the 18th, which cost me two shots and gave away the lead.

“I am not doing well in these tournaments, and I need to work hard to keep my momentum up.”

Muthaiga’s Greg Snow, who was the overnight leader after round one on Sunday, finished fourth on 4-under-par 212. At the same time, top amateur Michael Karanga continued his fine form to close the tournament fifth on 3-under-par 213 and take the fifth position on the final leaderboard.

Karanga, the reigning Kenya Amateur Golf Championship winner, was once again the highest-ranked amateur in the field.

The Masters edition at VetLab Sports Club was the first of two consecutive tournaments with the event featuring 72 players drawn from across Africa and beyond, all competing for the prestigious title, a share of the KSh. 2 million purse, along with valuable Order of Merit points, Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, and Safari Tour points counting toward qualification for the 2026 Magical Kenya Open.

The Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing continues next week with the Masters at Limuru Country Club, from November 9 to 11, 2025.