Battle royale as 70 players fight for 10 Sunshine Tour slots

Top 30 from the 15-legged East Africa Swing series, to be spread across the region, will also head to South Africa next year where they will battle a similar number of South African players for the 12 available Sunshine Tour slots. Top player in the Africa showpiece will head home Sh 10 million richer.

A number of golfers highlighted their excitement in taking in the ongoing Q-School contest in Naivasha, with many saying the Tour being curved out will help improve the level of the game in the country and the East Africa region as a whole.

"I just want to be safe in this battle, I aim to finish this Qualifier in top three," Samuel Njoroge of Kenya Railway Golf Club, told Standard Sports as he teed off in the cold morning weather.

Celestin Nsanzuwera of Kigali Golf Resort and Villas reiterated that he is in Naivasha to make his country Rwanda proud by clinching a tour card slot from the event. 

His sentiments were echoed by Marvin Kibirige of Uganda who is hopeful to be among the final top ten come Thursday final. 

"The event will bring out the best in East Africa, it is going to tap and nurture talents,” Kibirige said.

“I'm already excited that Uganda is going to host four legs of the East Africa Swing which I promise not to miss should I make the qualification,” noted Kibirige who started his golfing career first as a ball boy, then a caddy at Mary Louise Memorial Golf Club in Namulonge where he is currently a resident pro.

Kenya 1 Joyce Wanjiru of Kiambu Golf Club said her focus is to bag the solitary ticket to the Sunshine Ladies Tour that is on offer to lady golfers at the Q-School.

"I have come here to win, so I intend to play some good golf here. My swing is currently good, it should put me in a very respectable position in this Qualifier," stated Wanjiru who is fresh from contesting the Shabana Trophy Open in Kisii on Sunday.

Vet Lab Sports Club pro Nelson Simwa said the Tour has opened up a new chapter for Kenyan golfers and this will trickle down in the future Magical Kenya Open (MKO) golf championships.

"As pros, we have gone through bad things as far as Kenyan golfing is concerned, but this is a new dawn. I want to seize this opportunity to win this tournament so I can travel to South Africa to try my luck for the Sunshine Tour ticket.

“Also winning the tournament will allow me to contest the East Africa Swing which is also in my bucket dream to win," Simwa said.

Edwin Mudanyi of Karen Golf and Country Club in Nairobi believes the Tour is going to quench the thirst that has been created by lack of playing time in the Kenyan pro category.

"My target in this championship is to have a good score, have a good week running and qualify for South Africa for the showdown,"Mudanyi stated.

Kenya 1 (men) Michael Karanga of Kiambu Golf Club said the Tour has come at an opportune time when he is contemplating turning professional.

"This is my game plan in this competition; contest the event, win the championship, travel to South Africa, punch a ticket to the Sunshine Tour, return to Kenya and declare my professional status," Karanga explained.

Arusha based pro Nuru Mollel of Tanzania said he was quite mesmerized with his tee off at the Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort which he termed pristine and very inspiring.

"This is already motivating me to play well in this tournament," he stated. "I have played so many times in Kenya but this time round I have come with my 'A' game, so I'm here to win this tournament.

"As Tanzanians, we promise to be good hosts when the East Africa Swing Tour is held at Kilimanjaro Golf Club," the Arusha Gymkhana home player stated.