Alfred Nandwa follows his tee shot at the Muthaiga 10th during the 2025 Magical Kenya Open.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

A field of over 50 golfers is expected to take to the course on Monday coming week when the East Africa Swing of the Sunshine Development Tour tees off at the Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort with a Qualifying School (Q-School) event.

The Q-School will be a four-day event with a KES 1 million prize purse which will award players with Sunshine Tour cards for the 2025/26 season, with the top ten finishers at the Great Rift event earning invitations to play at the Sunshine Tour Final Stage Qualifier in Johannesburg, South Africa from the 8th to the 11th of April 2025.

Amongst the golfers registered to play at the Q-School includes the 2025 Magical Kenya Open top Kenyan finisher, Riz Charania, Muthaiga Golf Club’s Greg Snow, Nyali Golf and Country Club’s Daniel Nduva, the Kibugu brothers – Mutahi and Njoroge, 1998 Kenya Open runner-up Jacob Okello, Alfred Nandwa, Michael Karanga, Samuel Chenge, Mohit Mediratta, Mike Kisia, David Wakhu, and Erick Ooko.

From the region, the tournament has attracted the interest of Ugandan, Tanzanian, Burundian, and Rwandese golfers who will battle it out against their Kenyan compatriots for top honors. Among them Celestin Nsanzuwera, Byiringiro Jacques, Nsabimana Aloys, and Benjamin Mukisa from Rwanda; David Kamulindwa and Otile Ronald from Uganda; Nuru Mollel and Isaac Wanyeche from Tanzania; and Nkurunziza Salum from Burundi.

This follows this week’s announcement of a partnership between The Sunshine Tour and IMG Kenya for the launch of The Sunshine Development Tour – East African Swing, which will offer professional golfers and elite amateurs, both men and women, a chance to play regular competitive golf tournaments organized in line with Sunshine Tour standards. This Tour will include 10 to 15 events annually and offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, which are crucial for player advancement, and essential for Olympic Games qualifiers.

Qualification to play golf at the Olympic Games is based on OWGR, with the top 15 players in the world automatically earning a spot. Thereafter, players are eligible based on world rankings with a maximum of up to two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15.

As such, the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing offers Kenya, and her neighbours, a pathway to Olympic Games golf qualification that would have previously been out of reach owing to lack of enough tournaments offering OWGR points in the region.

The Q-School is a mandatory pre-requisite for earning Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points on the East Africa Swing. The top 50 finishers at the Q-School will share the Sh 1 million prize purse, with the overall winner banking Sh 180,220.

“Ordinarily Q-Schools don’t offer Prize money, but we made a decision at IMG Kenya to kick start the Tour with an incentive for the professional golfers,” said Peter Gacheru, IMG Kenya CEO when announcing details of their partnership with The Sunshine Tour.

Elvis Muigua poses for a photo with his trophy after clinching the Windsor Classic title.

By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The Kenya Golf Union (KGU) today announced the official Team Kenya squad that will represent the country at the highly anticipated Victoria Cup, scheduled to take place from 20th to 22nd March 2025 at Mt. Kipipiri Golf and Resort.

The team comprises of John Lejirma – Captain from Kenya Railway Golf Club, Daniel Kiragu from Muthaiga Golf Club, Tsevi Soni from Sigona Golf Club, Elvis Muigua from Kiambu Golf Club, Josphat Rono from Golf Park Golf Club, Elly Barno from Nandi Bears Golf Club, Raphael Leming’ani from Golf Park Golf Club, Kevin Anyien from Golf Park Golf Club, Krish Shah from Vet Lab Sports Club, Ebill Omollo from Vet Lab Sports Club.

“We are excited to announce a team made up of elite amateur players as well as top juniors from across the country. The team has been training under the leadership of our national team coach,” said Mr. Chris Kinuthia, Vice Chairman and Tournament Director of the Kenya Golf Union. This team, which is set to defend Kenya’s title, is a dynamic group of golfers who have been undergoing intense training over the past month to ensure they are ready to compete at the highest level.

The Victoria Cup was first played in 2016, marking the beginning of what has now become a key annual golfing event in East Africa. Named after Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, bordering Kenya and Uganda, the Victoria Cup has grown into one of the most anticipated sporting events in the region. The tournament represents more than just a competition; it is a celebration of the shared golfing culture between the two nations. Over the years, it has enhanced the sport’s profile and helped nurture and develop talent in the region.

Mt. Kipipiri Golf and Resort is the newest golf club in Kenya, designed and built to international standards to host major golf events. The resort boasts a championship-level course, rated at par 72, and offers a challenging yet beautiful setting for golfers of all skill levels. The course is set amidst breathtaking scenery and has been meticulously designed to provide both an exciting and fair test for players. With its world-class facilities, Mt. Kipipiri Golf and Resort is poised to become a key venue for International golf tournaments in the region.

In addition to the main Victoria Cup competition, there will be a subsidiary event on Saturday morning, 22nd March 2025. This subsidiary event will give local golfers a chance to participate in a fun and competitive round of golf in the morning, after which they can enjoy the excitement of the Victoria Cup as the Kenya and Uganda teams battle it out in the afternoon.