Sunshine Development Tour expands into West Africa
Golf
By
Standard Sports
| Mar 31, 2026
Windsor pro golfer Njoroge Kibugu attacking the course at the Sunshine Development Tour Qualifying School at the Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort in Naivasha on April 1, 2025 [Photo/ Sunshine Tour]
The Sunshine Development Tour — East Africa Swing will return for the 2026/27 season next month with an expanded calendar that now includes a West African leg at Lakowe Lakes Golf Estate in Lagos.
The Alpha Bravo Golf Classic is scheduled for 18–21 November 2026, joining eleven Kenyan tournaments and a repeat staging of the SportsBiz Africa Championship in Kigali.
Players from both regions can earn tour membership and Official World Golf Ranking points through mandatory Qualifying Schools.
SDT Q School (East) runs 7–10 April 2026 at Limuru Country Club, while Q School (West) takes place 13–15 April at Lakowe Lakes in Lagos. The Q‑Schools will set ranking categories and determine playing rights for the season.
The Lagos stop is expected to attract competitors from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and beyond, creating the first structured West African pathway into the Sunshine Tour system. The promotional team says the move reinforces a merit‑based progression route where strong results lead to higher-level opportunities.
The season proper begins at Thika Sports Club from 19–21 April. The expansion follows a successful inaugural campaign that ended in January 2026 at Karen Country Club, where Njoroge Kibugu topped the Order of Merit with four wins and earned a full Sunshine Tour card.
Kibugu’s performances also boosted his global standing — he broke into Africa’s top 100 and was the only Kenyan to make the cut at the Magical Kenya Open 2026, finishing 6 under par. Order of Merit runners‑up Celestin Nsanzuwera and Dismas Indiza also graduated to the Sunshine Tour, while Naomi Wafula secured playing rights on the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
Organisers say the enlarged schedule will deepen competition, broaden regional representation and further solidify the SDT’s role as an accessible pathway for African golfers.