Absa Ruiru Invitational, the fifth leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, is headed for Ruiru with a strong field of golfers expected to battle for honours at Ruiru Sports Club from Sunday, 16th to Tuesday, 18th August.
The Absa Bank Kenya main tournament action will be preceded by a Pro-Am on Saturday, 15 August, bringing together professional golfers and amateur players for a preview of the competition and an opportunity for partners, stakeholders and golf enthusiasts to experience the Ruiru course ahead of the three-day championship.
The Absa-sponsored tournament has attracted a diverse field of 63 professionals, amateurs and junior golfers from across the region, setting the stage for another competitive three days of golf as players seek valuable Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points, Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points.
Among those expected to headline the field are Kakamega Sports Club’s Dismas Indiza and Royal Nairobi’s John Lejirma, who return to Ruiru after producing one of the most dramatic finishes of last year’s tournament.
Indiza, who started the final round five shots behind Lejirma, mounted a remarkable comeback to tie at 4-under par 212 after regulation. He then edged Lejirma in a sudden-death playoff with a birdie on the par-4 18th to claim the title.
The two will be joined by a strong cast of Kenyan professionals including Samuel Njoroge Chege, Greg Snow, Daniel Nduva, Michael Karanga, David Wakhu, Edwin Mudanyi, Mohit Mediratta and Taimur Malik, among others.
Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera will lead the international challenge, with players from Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Malawi and Burundi also expected to feature, underlining the growing regional and continental reach of the Absa sponsored Sunshine Development Tour.
The field also includes a number of emerging and amateur golfers, providing them with an opportunity to test themselves against established professionals while gaining valuable competitive experience.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Tournament Director David Kihara said the strength of the field and the history of the Ruiru leg should make for another closely contested tournament.
“Ruiru has consistently delivered competitive golf, and we are expecting another exciting contest this year. We have a strong field bringing together experienced professionals, emerging players and amateurs from across the region, which should make for a very competitive three days.
The return of players such as Dismas Indiza and John Lejirma also adds an interesting dimension given what happened here last year. We look forward to welcoming the players and fans to Ruiru and seeing who will emerge as this year’s champion.”
Absa Bank Kenya is the main sponsor of the Sunshine Development Tour
The Absa Ruiru Invitational is supported by Absa Bank Kenya as part of its ongoing partnership with the Sunshine Development Tour.
Absa Bank is supporting three legs of the Tour this season, including the Ruiru event. The tournament forms part of the Sunshine Development Tour’s broader pathway for golfers seeking to progress to higher levels of professional golf, with players competing for ranking points and opportunities to advance towards the Sunshine Tour.
During the 4th leg of the Sunshine Development Tour, Defending champion Njoroge Kibugu produced a brilliant second-round performance to storm to the top of the leaderboard at the Absa Invitational.
The Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club professional, who began the day tied for 13th on level par, carded a composed 4-under par 67 on the par-71 course to move to 4-under par overall, reaffirming his status as one of the favourites on a course where he claimed victory last season.
Kibugu’s impressive round featured seven birdies on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 11th, 13th, 15th and 18th holes, with his only dropped shots coming on the 4th, 14th and 17th.
Hot on his heels are Greg Snow of Muthaiga Golf Club and Mohit Mediratta of Sigona Golf Club, who were tied for second place on 3-under par overall, just one shot behind the leader.
Leave a comment