-Being an amateur, Lejirma took home Ksh. 130,000 for his performance along with 210 Order of Merit points on the Tour.
-The Royal Nairobi event received significant backing from Johnnie Walker, which holds the title naming rights for this leg and from Vivo Energy Kenya, the official sponsor of the Royal tournament.
MAARUFU MOHAMED-GOLFNEWSLINKS.
Kenya’s top amateur John Lejirma clinched the Johnnie Walker Classic title after a dramatic playoff in final round of the sixth leg of the Sunshine Development Tour-East Africa Swing that concluded at the Royal Nairobi golf club course in Nairobi County on Wednesday.
The home club player produced a composed performance under pressure to claim the victory over his closest challenger Njoroge Kibugu after both had tied on a 10-under-par at regulation play.
On the playoff hole, the par-4 18th hole, Lejirma kept his composure to card a par, as Kibugu faltered with a bogey, handing the home favorite a hard-fought and emotional victory.
“It’s been a long journey. The first leg slipped away from me, and in another event, I lost in a playoff by just a whisker, but I didn’t give up. I went back to the drawing board, did what needed to be done, and here we are. Coming into this week, I knew I had an advantage playing at home. I told myself to stay patient, stay focused, and finish strong, and I’m so glad it paid off. Honestly, the pressure was there. I kept reminding myself that this was my moment. The support from my fellow Royal members gave me extra motivation, even though it added a bit of pressure. I stayed calm, trusted my game, and kept telling myself, ‘Lej, you need this, and you’ve got this. When it went to the playoff, I knew this was my chance. I focused, stuck to my plan, and reminded myself that in golf, anything can happen. Fortunately, it went my way.”
Being an amateur, Lejirma took home Ksh. 130,000 for his performance along with 210 Order of Merit points on the Tour.
Runners up placed Njoroge Kibugu of Windsor Golf and Country Club delivered a superb final round of 6-under-par 66, capitalizing on Lejirma’s conservative play to erase the deficit and force the playoff. His round featured birdies on holes 2, 7, 10, 14, 15, and 17, with his only dropped shot coming at the par-3 sixth.
Kibugu earned Ksh. 214,000 from the Ksh. 2 million prize purse, along with 172 Order of Merit points.
Finishing tied for third were Gaita Tadeo Rodell of Uganda and Kenya’s Dismas Indiza, both closing at 3-under-par 213 gross.
Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera finished tied for fifth on 1-under-par 215 gross alongside Kenya’s Erick Ooko.
The Johnnie Walker Classic was the sixth leg of the Sunshine Development Tour- East Africa Swing, a regional professional golf circuit designed to provide a pathway for African golfers to earn Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points while competing for Order of Merit standings and prize money.
The tournament was supported by East African Breweries through its Johnnie Walker brand, alongside Vivo Energy Kenya, Pure Travel, and Magical Kenya, and hosted by Royal Nairobi Golf Club.
The three days 54 holes started on Monday where in a challenging finish with a four-way Tie With Kenya’s Rizwan Charania, Njoroge Kibugu, elite amateur John Lejirma, and Uganda’s Gaita Tadeo will all closing the day on two-under par 70 gross each.
In day two on Tuesday, Home player John Lejirma produced a masterful performance after firing an impressive 6-under par 66 gross, taking his overall tournament total to 8-under par with a commanding four-shot lead.
Sunshine Development Tour-East Africa Swing Promoter Charles Gacheru, said, “Since our launch earlier this year, we’ve hosted successful events in Thika Greens, Ruiru, Nyali, Diani, and Kigali and now the sixth leg to Royal Nairobi Golf Club. The Tour provides a clear pathway for our golfers, both professional and elite amateurs, to earn Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points, helping them transition to higher-tier tours such as the Sunshine Tour and eventually the global stage.”
The Royal Nairobi event received significant backing from Johnnie Walker, which holds the title naming rights for this leg and from Vivo Energy Kenya, the official sponsor of the Royal tournament.
FINAL TOP TEN LEADERS AND TIES.
John Lejirma (a)-206 gross, Njoroge Kibugu-206 gross, Gaita Tadeo Rodell-213 gross, Dismas Indiza-213 gross, Celestin Nsanzuwera-215 gross, Erick Ooko Obura-215 gross, Kasango Grace-216 gross, Mutahi Kibugu-217 gross, Jean Hitayezu D’amour (a)-217 gross, Visitor Mapwanya-217 gross.
ENDS.
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