-NCBA Group Director Marketing, Communications & Citizenship, Nelly Wainaina lauded Njoroge’s performance and welcomed him into the NCBA PGK Equator Team.
-While History was made as Kibugu, Wafula Secure Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour Cards.
IMG KENYA LIMITED.
NCBA has today unveiled rising Kenyan professional Golfer Njoroge Kibugu as the newest member of the NCBA PGK Equator Team on the same day he clinched his maiden victory on the Tour at Sigona Golf Club in Nairobi.
Njoroge produced a composed performance over four rounds to post a total of 279 gross, finishing nine under par and securing a one, shot win over Samuel Chege and his older brother Mutahi Kibugu in the hotly contested round.
It was a battle between the Kibugus for the final round, playing on the same flight for the second day running, alongside Edwin Mudanyi. Double bogeys in the 8th and 9th for Njoroge saw Mutahi catch up on -8, but two birdies on the back nine for Njoroge as compared to Mutahi’s one, saw him grab the win.
Njoroge played rounds of 69, 71, 69, and 70 while Chege carded 72, 74, 69, and 65, with Mutahi scoring 70, 71, 70, and 69.
Seasoned player Greg Snow and NCBA-backed professional Edwin Mudanyi concluded their campaigns at five under and four under, respectively.
Speaking during the unveiling, NCBA Group Director Marketing, Communications & Citizenship, Nelly Wainaina lauded Njoroge’s performance and welcomed him into the NCBA PGK Equator Team, noting that his signing on the same day as his breakthrough win is a powerful symbol of the bank’s belief in local talent and competitive excellence.
“We have just signed Njoroge Kibugu and for the first time he has won at the 2025 PGK Equator Tour and we are glad we bet on him. He is one of the best young pro golf players we have around now. These are two wins for us; bagging Njoroge and him winning the Sigona leg of the Tour. We looked at working with PGK and the prospect of taking golf to the Olympics in 2028 and we believe that if we continue supporting these players consistently their game will get better with more chances to play,” said Nelly.
On his part, Kibugu expressed his delight for joining the NCBA team as well as for winning his maiden title in the Tour.
“Winning the Sigona Leg on the back of joining the NCBA Team is a big boost for me and I am very excited for what lies ahead. It is my first win in the Tour having come very close on the other tours. Playing alongside my brother for the second day was a good thing for me because I always look up to him. It has been a good way to end the year. I look forward to the remaining legs in January,” said Kibugu.
Up next on the PGK Equator Tour is the seventh leg at the Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club from January 8-11, 2026.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s Njoroge Kibugu and Naomi Wafula have secured historic playing cards on the Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour after strong performances throughout the inaugural season of the Sunshine Development Tour-East Africa Swing.
Their achievements mark the first time Kenyan or East African golfers have earned full tour cards to major professional golf tours.
Kibugu secured his Sunshine Tour card directly by winning three Sunshine Development Tour events this season at Thika Greens Golf Resort, Nyali Golf Club and Vetlab Sports Club and His consistent run has placed him firmly at the top of the Tour standings and confirmed him as the first Kenyan and first East African to earn a full playing card on a global professional tour.
For his stellar performance in the Tour, he has climbed 1,896 places on the Official World Golf Ranking from 3,508 before the start of the Tour to 1,612 currently, making him the highest-ranked East African in the World.
Kibugu said earning the card was a major moment in his young career saying, “It means a lot to be the first Kenyan to secure a Sunshine Tour card. I am very grateful to the Sunshine Development Tour for giving us this opportunity and I am excited to showcase my talent at the next level. The tour has been very important because right now it is the only way to get to a global tour apart from the Kenya Open.”
He added that this achievement shows young Golfers what is possible noting that, “Getting this card proves that players from this region can move up. For juniors coming up they now see a clear pathway and that there is something big to play for. On the main tour my goal is to keep my card for the full season and try to get into the top ten as many times as possible. If I can get a win, it would be great. I want to gain as much knowledge as I can. I have played there before, and I believe I can do much better than I did. At 22 my long-term goal is to reach the major tours like the PGA Tour, LIV or the Asia Tour.”
Naomi Wafula earned her card to the Sunshine Ladies Tour after an outstanding season where she made seven out of eight cuts on the Sunshine Development Tour.
She is currently ranked eighteenth on the Order of Merit and is the highest ranked female player on
the Tour.
Her performances throughout the season have confirmed her status as one of the region’s rising professionals.
Wafula said the news was emotional for her and marked the fulfillment of a long-term dream. “For me to be the first Kenyan woman golfer to get a global tour card through the Sunshine Development Tour is amazing. It has always been my dream to play on a major
tour and I was overwhelmed when I received the news. I am grateful to the Sunshine Development Tour because it has given us a chance to play high level competitions here at home and that has opened the door for me to go international,” she said.
She added that she hopes her journey encourages other girls saying, “I hope other young women will see that it is possible to reach international platforms through this pathway. My goal now is to play in all Sunshine Ladies Tour events next season and do my best in each tournament.”
Sunshine Development Tour-East Africa Swing Promoter Charles Gacheru said this marks a turning point for Golf in Kenya and the wider region.
“One hundred and twenty-five years after golf was introduced in this region, we launched the Sunshine Development Tour East Africa Swing in partnership with the Sunshine Tour of South Africa to not only create a series of events in Kenya and East Africa but to create a link to global golf. The Sunshine Development Tour has created that link. It is the only world-ranked tour in Kenya, and the only one that offers ranking points that opens the doors to major global tours and also count towards Olympic qualification,” said Gacheu.
Gacheru added that Njoroge’s achievement sets a new benchmark for the region.
“Njoroge Kibugu has secured a full Sunshine Tour card for 2026. This is a first for East African golf. He becomes the first East African and the first Kenyan in one hundred and twenty-five years to secure a full membership card to the Sunshine Tour. He has earned it purely on merit, through his performances on this tour. We expect him to flourish there and earn bigger world ranking points. He has now moved on to the main tour and will be playing against top professionals.”
On Wafula, Gacheru said her consistency made the difference.
“Naomi has been one of Kenya’s top amateur women for a long time and since turning professional she has shown the discipline and commitment needed at this level. She has now earned full membership to the Sunshine Ladies Tour for next year. This is also a first for Kenya and East Africa and we are proud that she has come through this pathway,” he said.
Commenting on the development, Kenya Golf Union (KGU) Chairman, Chris Kinuthia, said, “The entire golfing fraternity under the Kenya Golf Union congratulates Njoroge Kibugu and Naomi Wafula on this historic milestone which will, undoubtedly, enhance Kenya’s profile as a golfing nation. The achievements underscore the need for further investment in Golf development in the country from both an amateur and professional perspective and highlights the need for a sustained pathway such as the Sunshine Development Tour and other Tours which elevate local and regional golf to global standards. We look forward to following both players’ progress at the Sunshine Tour and commit our continued support.”
Kenya Ladies Golf Union (KLGU) Chairperson Rosemary Mkok congratulated Naom for her achievement and said it is a defining moment for the development of women’s Golf in Kenya.
“We congratulate Naomi on this remarkable accomplishment which immortalizes her in Kenya’s golf history books as the first female golfer to ever get a card to a global tour. We applaud her for her tremendous effort and focus which has earned her this great opportunity to fly Kenya’s flag in Africa’s elite ladies golf tour for the coming season. This achievement aligns with our mission of sustained development of ladies’ golf in the country, and we commit to continue working with like-minded partners to achieve this goal. We are very proud of you Naomi,” said Mkok.
The East Africa Swing will conclude its season with two more tournaments in January 2026.
The first will be staged at Thika Greens Golf Resort marking the ninth leg of the Tour, followed by the Grand Finale at the Karen Country Club, where the top 30 players from the Tour will compete against the top 30 players from South Africa’s Big Easy Tour.
The finalists will compete for promotion cards to the main Sunshine Tour for the 2026 season.
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