Nairobi — The Sunshine Development Tour - East Africa Swing is making waves in Kenyan golf, especially for women.
According to Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) Chairman CK Wangai, having women play in the series is a significant step forward for Kenyan golf.
Margaret Njoki became the third female member of the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) in January 2026.
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She followed in the footsteps of Naom Wafula (who joined in 2025) and Joyce Wanjiru Njuguini, who made her professional debut during the Absa Invitational Tour leg at Thika Greens in early January 2026.
Wanjiru is excited to be part of the Tour, ostensibly to inspire other young women to join the professional ranks.
"This is the first time in history that ladies have been incorporated into PGK, and as an Association, we felt it was only proper to open up so that we can give them hope, as we're only second to South Africa in the region to administer ladies as pros into the pro body. My message to the ladies, more so the young ones, is that the door is now open to join the Association and become pros," highlighted CJ Wangai.
Absa Bank Kenya sponsored the last two legs of the SDT series, and their Mount Kenya Regional Manager, Timothy Kosgei, expressed pride in being associated with the professional players.
"As Absa Bank Kenya, we are delighted and proud to be associated with our professional players, to see how far they can go against foreigners from as far as Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania. We are happy to see the two ladies (Naomi and Wanjiru) position themselves prominently in this male-dominated sport," said Kosgei.
Wanjiru was all smiles as she hit the ground running at the Thika Green course, where she closed the opening day on six over par 77, with Wafula carding a +5 after the first 18 holes at the Thika Greens course.
"Playing at Thika Greens is special for me, and I'm excited to compete against such a strong field of male golfers, and I'm happy that being a pro there is no limit to prize money, as is the case with pros," Wanjiru highlighted.
Wanjiru, 37, has extolled the Sunshine Development Tour for giving her confidence and showcasing the growth of professional golf in Kenya, which convinced her to turn pro.
"Day One in school at Thika Greens as a pro wasn't a walk in the park. I didn't putt so well. I was a bit nervous about playing my first professional tournament, but I guess things will be okay from now on. It's never easy playing against men. I hope to retire from professional golf at the age of 45 to channel my energy towards grooming young girls, including my own daughter, who is 12," said Wanjiru
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Trailblazing Wafula, a Sunshine Ladies Tour card holder, also sharpened her skills on the Tour and was among those who graced the 10th and final legnofnthe SDT at Karen Country Club last week alongside Wanjiru.
"The Sunshine Development Tour has raised the level of competition for us, and every event matters," Naomi quipped.
Wafula's impressive performance earned her a card on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, making her the first Kenyan woman to achieve this feat.
She was on cloud nine after securing her place in the Sunshine Ladies Tour Golf for the coming season.
Wafula says the achievement is a dream come true for her after many years of hard work in the greens and fairways.
"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," she said.
Wafula earned her card following a stellar season in which she ranked seventh out of eight cuts on the Sunshine Development Tour.
"I am grateful to the Sunshine Development Tour because it has given women a chance to play high-level competitions here at home, and that has opened the door for me to go international," Wafula said.
Wafula is currently ranked highly on the Order of Merit and is indeed the highest-ranked female player on the Tour.
