Veteran golfer Dismas Indiza from Kakamega Golf Club staged a sensational comeback at the Ruiru Sunshine Development Tour, erasing a five-shot deficit to force a playoff and edge out amateur John Lejirma with a decisive birdie, walking away Ksh400,000 richer and reminding all why he is still called ‘Mzee wa Kazi’. 

Indiza’s victory came courtesy of returning a score of level-par 72 to tie at 4-under-par 212. 

Popularly known as ‘Mzee wa kazi’, Indiza signed out of the Ruiru Sports Club leg with a total score of 4-under-par 212 (71, 69, 72) after three intense rounds of golf that culminated in a playoff, which Indiza won with a birdie at the 18th. 

Off the tee shot, both players landed their balls on the fairway about 10 feet apart. Indiza then attacked the pin with might and landed his ball about 6 feet away, while Lejirma (from Royal Nairobi Golf Club) was about 9 feet away.

Lejirma went first and his ball missed the pin by a few inches, while Indiza comfortably sank the birdie to wrap up the show. 

First nine 

In regulation time, Indiza had a fantastic first nine with a single bogey at number 7 and four birdies (at numbers 2, 6, 8 and 9) to send chills down his opponent’s spine after Lejirma had teed off with a double bogey at the first, followed by another double at the third and a bogey at the fourth, dropping the five shots that had previously placed him atop the leaderboard. 

As Lejirma dropped five shots on the front nine alone, where Indiza collected three shots, it became evident that the veteran was going all out for the title.  

But fate struck Lejirma when he made two successive bogeys at numbers 16 and 17.  

Indiza, on the other hand, birdied the 17th to tie the score at four-under heading into the decisive 18th.

The large crowd following the pair expected the winner to be decided on the 18th hole, but both settled for par, forcing a one-hole playoff, again at the 18th. 

After his win, Indiza was proud of pulling off a daring comeback and admitted to feeling slight pressure during the playoff, where Ksh400,000 was at stake. 

“I’m grateful to God for this win. It was not easy playing with a knock, but I stayed strong. I had a good front nine where I recovered crucial shots, which made it possible for me to fight for the title in the playoff. During the playoff, I couldn’t fathom the fact that I only needed one shot to win the title and the cash prize, so I drove my ball hard and made a birdie when it mattered most. I’m happy I won today, and congratulations to my younger brother Lejirma for a good round of golf,” Indiza told People Sports. 

On his part, Lejirma said, “I was not under any pressure and I was calm throughout, but it was a tough day for me. Things did not go according to plan from the first tee. I’m not happy with how I dropped five shots in the front nine, and more upsetting is that I couldn’t recover in the back nine. I congratulate Indiza for a solid game. We all had our ups and downs, but he held on to win.” 

Lejirma awarded 

Amateur Lejirma received his cheque of Ksh130,000 for finishing runner-up, the same amount he would have pocketed regardless of whether he won the title or not. 

Rizwan Charania and Samuel Njoroge shared third place, both finishing at 1-under-par 215 for the tournament.  

Charania played a consistent final round, carding level-par 72 with pars across all 18 holes.

Njoroge, who started the day at 3-under after strong earlier rounds, posted a 2-over-par 74 on the final day to slip into the tie for third. 

“It was a steady week for me. I played solid golf, kept mistakes to a minimum, and stayed patient out there. The conditions were fair but challenging, so I’m pleased with how I managed my game. Finishing tied for third is a good result, and I’ll take the positives into the next events on the swing,” said Charania after his round. 

Kibugu brothers 

Brothers Mutahi Kibugu and Njoroge Kibugu tied for fifth at even-par 216.  

Mutahi produced one of the best rounds of the tournament with a brilliant 6-under-par 66 to climb the leaderboard, making birdies on the 6th, 8th, 9th and 15th while avoiding any dropped shots on the day.  

Njoroge, the Thika Greens leg winner, finished with birdies on the 3rd, 11th, and 18th but was set back by bogeys on the 2nd and 9th, along with a double bogey on the 11th. 

Naom Wafula of Vipingo Ridge Golf Resort once again led the women’s field, finishing strongly in eighth place overall with a total of 2-over-par 218 after another steady round.

Wafula maintained her form throughout the tournament, reinforcing her status as one of the region’s top amateur prospects. 

Speaking after her round, Wafula said: “I’m happy with how I played throughout the week. My goal was to stay consistent and give myself chances, and I managed to do that. It’s great to finish inside the top 10 in such a strong field. Every tournament on this tour gives me more confidence and valuable experience to keep improving my game.” 

Rwanda’s Celestine Nsanzuwera finished as the highest-ranked foreign player, closing his tournament at 1-over-par 217 to claim seventh place on the final leaderboard.

Nsanzuwera capped his week with an impressive final round of 4-under-par 68, one of the lowest rounds of the day. 

In yet another memorable moment, Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) Chairman John Wangai recorded a hole-in-one on the par-3 11th hole, marking the second ace of the tournament following Eugine Wafula’s hole-in-one on the same hole during the opening round. 

The Ruiru leg wraps up another competitive edition of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, as regional players continue their quest for Sunshine Tour points and valuable Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.