Fight for Kenya Open slots continues with back-to-back Sunshine Development Tour events
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 10.01.26. | 13:24
Since its launch in 2025, the Tour has been designed to address a long-standing gap in the regional golf ecosystem by providing regular, high quality competitive opportunities for professional golfers and elite amateurs
The 2025/26 Sunshine Development Tour - East Africa Swing continues this month with two events scheduled for Thika and Karen.
Thika Greens Golf Club comes alive from Wednesday 14 to Friday, 16 January before the series moves to Karen Country Club from Monday, 19 to Wednesday, 21 January. Each of the two events is offering a Ksh2 million prize purse.
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The Thika Greens leg has attracted a strong and diverse field of 83 golfers drawn from 11 countries, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Malawi, Zimbabwe and the United States.
The Tour recently received a major boost after Absa Bank Kenya announced a Ksh4 million sponsorship towards the ninth and tenth legs of the "recognised tournament" offering Safari Tour ranking points which will be exclusively used to qualify for slots in the Magical Kenya Open, a DP World Golf Tour event.
What's more, this investment will ensure that players continue to compete under professional conditions that meet global standards, while earning valuable Official World Golf Ranking points which are crucial for the advancement to major global tours as well as the Olympic Games.
“At Absa, we see the story behind ambition, the discipline that it takes to move from promise to excellence. The Tour offers Kenyan golfers a clear pathway to global stages such as the Magical Kenya Open Golf Tournament. Our support for these final two events is part of our promise to unlocking local talent at a pivotal moment, ensuring players have the right platforms to grow and compete,” Absa Bank Kenya Head of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Charles Wokabi said.
The sponsorship comes at a critical stage of the Tour’s inaugural season, with the two tournaments concluding the Tour’s inaugural campaign which was launched last year.
Karen Country Club's event will serve as the season finale, where the top 12 players on the combined East Africa Swing and South Africa’s Big Easy Tour Order of Merit will earn direct playing cards at the Sunshine Tour.
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