Big moves for regional golfers on world ranking after Sunshine Development Tour
Golf
By
Washington Onyango
| Jun 18, 2025
Golfers from the East African region have made significant strides on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) following the recently concluded Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing tournaments held at the Thika Greens Golf Resort and at the Ruiru Sports Club, where valuable ranking points were on offer.
The two tournaments attracted mixed fields of top professionals and elite amateurs drawn from six nationalities - Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and South Africa – with those who made the cut all earning OWGR points.
Overall, four golfers – Dismas Indiza, Njoroge Kibugu, elite amateur John Lejirma, and Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera – have risen to the top 3,000 after just two events; whilst ten golfers – Celestin, Indiza, Njoroge, Lejirma, CJ Wangai, his brother Samuel Njoroge, Rizwan Charania, elite amateur Elvis Muigua, Jacob Okello, and Uganda’s Ainamana Abraham – have moved more than 1,000 places on the ranking.
Leading the list of major movers is Kakamega Sports Club’s Dismas Indiza, who surged 2,241 places to climb to 2,354th in the world after his dramatic playoff victory over John Lejirma at Ruiru.
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The Ruiru event carried a 0.97020 field rating, with Indiza earning 29.54% of the OWGR points, translating to 0.28661 ranking points. This marks Indiza’s first world ranking points in nine years, having last earned OWGR points in 2016.
The Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing is the only golf tour in the East and Central African region that offers Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points which are crucial for golfers’ development into the global golf arena including opportunities to play in the Sunshine Tour, The DP World Tour, and The PGA Tour.
Critically, OWGR points are the exclusive pathway for qualification to the 2028 Summer Olympics which will be held in Los Angeles, California
Golf qualification for the Olympics is based on the OWGR, with the top 15 players globally earning automatic spots, and additional slots filled by the highest-ranked players from each country, subject to a maximum of two athletes per nation outside the top 15.
Speaking on his return to the world rankings, Indiza said: “This is a great moment for me. To get back into the world rankings after so many years means a lot and it shows that hard work and consistency still pay off. The Sunshine Development Tour has created a real platform for us in this region, and I’m motivated to keep climbing.”
Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s John Lejirma, Africa’s fourth-highest ranked elite male amateur golfer, has also made a significant move up the global rankings. Courtesy of the 0.13184 points collected for his second-place finish in Ruiru, Lejirma is now placed 2,710th in the world: marking the first time ever for the elite amateur golfer to earn OWGR points.
Reflecting on the development, Lejirma said: “It feels great to see myself make an entry in the world rankings. This tour has changed the game for players like me. I have learned a lot these past few weeks, and this only gives me more belief that with consistency, we can compete at the global level thanks to the platform created by the Sunshine Development Tour.”
Other debutants in the world ranking were Rizwan Charania from Windsor and Samuel Njojorge from Kenya Railway Golf Club who earned 0.07208 points each to move into 3,244th position globally.
Brothers Mutahi Kibugu and Njoroge Kibugu, who tied for fifth at Ruiru, also enjoyed significant rises. Mutahi moved up 949 places to occupy 3,343rd, while Njoroge advanced from 3,523rd to 2,374th following his performance in Ruiru.
Rwanda’s Celestine Nsanzuwera, who continued with his strong season, also made a debut on the world ranking to 2,895th after his second-place finish in Thika and seventh-place finish at Ruiru.
Commenting on his own rise, Nsanzuwera said: “Being able to earn world ranking points is something we’ve always dreamed of as East African golfers. The competition has been strong, and I am proud to see players from Rwanda and across the region now being recognized on the world stage. It gives us the hunger to keep working harder.”
Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing Promoter Charles Gacheru hailed the latest rankings movement as a validation of the purpose behind the tour’s creation.
“What we are seeing today is the exact vision we had when launching this Swing. To see players from across East Africa, for the first time in their careers, making world ranking moves is historic. This platform is about creating access, global pathways, and elevating African golf – particularly at the development stage - to new levels,” Gacheru said.
The numbers don’t just reflect individual success; they represent the emergence of a competitive regional ecosystem that we are trying to create with this tour. It is our conviction that through this Tour, our golfers will have a golden chance to qualify for the Olympics and fly the flags of their respective countries in what will truly be a tremendous achievement for Africa and the region.”