East African golfers have recorded historic gains on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) following the conclusion of the Sunshine Development Tour-East Africa Swing, which wrapped up at the Thika Greens Golf Resort and Ruiru Sports Club.  

The two high-stakes tournaments, featuring both professionals and elite amateurs from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and South Africa, offered valuable world ranking points and sparked a seismic shift in regional standings. 

Among the biggest movers is veteran Kenyan pro Dismas Indiza, who jumped 2,241 places to rank 2,354th globally after clinching a dramatic playoff victory over elite amateur John Lejirma at Ruiru.

It marked Indiza’s first OWGR points in nine years, with his win earning him 0.28661 points from a 0.97020 field rating, 29.54 per cent of the total available. 

Alongside Indiza, Njoroge Kibugu, John Lejirma and Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera also broke into the top 3,000 worldwide, with ten East African players jumping more than 1,000 spots in total.

Other notable climbers include CJ Wangai, Samuel Njoroge, Rizwan Charania, Elvis Muigua, Jacob Okello and Uganda’s Ainamana Abraham. 

For Lejirma, a standout amateur from Royal Nairobi Golf Club, the second-place finish at Ruiru earned him 0.13184 points and propelled him to 2,710th in the world, his first-ever entry into the OWGR.

Ranked as Africa’s fourth-best elite male amateur, Lejirma said the ranking milestone proves East African golfers can compete globally when given the right platform. 

“It feels great to see myself make an entry in the world rankings,” he said.  

“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.” 

Charania (Windsor) and Samuel Njoroge (Kenya Railway Golf Club) also earned their first OWGR points, each collecting 0.07208 to move into 3,244th place.  

Rwanda’s Nsanzuwera climbed to 2,895th after placing second in Thika and seventh in Ruiru, while Mutahi Kibugu and brother Njoroge Kibugu enjoyed big boosts, with Mutahi landing at 3,343rd and Njoroge surging from 3,523rd to 2,374th. 

The Sunshine Development Tour-East Africa Swing is the only golf tour in the East and Central African region that offers OWGR points, which are vital for global advancement, including qualification for prestigious events like the Sunshine Tour, DP World Tour, PGA Tour, and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.