NAIROBI, Kenya, December 8, 2025 – Not satisfied with making history at the Sunshine Development Tour Golf, Kenya’s Njoroge Kibugu has underlined his ambitions to play in the top leagues of the game around the globe.
Kibugu says his ultimate desire is to play at major competitions including the PGA Tour.
“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,” the Windsor Golf and Country Club player said.
The youngster was on Monday afternoon announced as one of two Kenyans who have booked their tickets to the Sunshine Tour, top lady golfer Naom Wafula making the other half of the duo.
It is the first time in the history of the sport that Kenyans will be featuring in the prestigious continental competition.
Kibugu described his achievement as invaluable insofar as his talent development is concerned as well as the overall growth of Kenyan golf.
“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 said.
The youngster 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.
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.
He is praying that many more Kenyans can break the ceiling of the sport and join him on the Sunshine Development Tour.
“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,” Kibugu added.
Speaking at the same time, Sunshine Development Tour Golf –East Africa Swing promoter Charles Gacheru said Kibugu and Wafula’s achievements are not to be sniffed at in the context of the sport within the 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,” Gacheru said.
He added: “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.”
At the same time, Kenya Golf Union (KGU) chair Chris Kinuthia believes the tremors of Kibugu’s huge success will be felt throughout the region for many eons to come.
“The entire golfing fraternity under the Kenya Golf Union congratulates Njoroge Kibugu and Naom 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,” Kinuthia said.
Kibugu will be out to wrap his season with more success at the next two legs of the East Africa Swing in January.
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.
