Kenya’s Jastas Madoya, Daniel Nduva and Andrew Chelogoi are set to represent the country at the Lakowe Lakes Classic in Lagos as the Sunshine Development Tour makes its first appearance in West Africa.
The three-day tournament will take place from October 2 to 4 at Lakowe Lakes Golf Club in Lagos, Nigeria. A total of 139 golfers from 10 countries are expected to compete for a share of the $50,000 prize fund.
The Kenyan trio will face a strong international field featuring professionals and amateurs from Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, Togo, Canada, Cameroon, Rwanda and Uganda.
Madoya, Nduva and Chelogoi will be looking to make an impact as the Sunshine Development Tour expands its competition programme beyond its established East African events.
The tournament will feature 115 professionals and 24 amateurs. Nigeria has the largest representation with 105 golfers, while Ghana has 21 players. Kenya and Ivory Coast have three representatives each.
For the Kenyan players, the competition provides an opportunity to gain more international experience and earn valuable ranking points. Apart from the cash prize, players will compete for Official World Golf Ranking points and Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points.
These points are important to golfers seeking to progress through the Sunshine Development Tour pathway and potentially earn opportunities on the main Sunshine Tour.
Madoya, Nduva and Chelogoi arrive in Lagos after competing in events on the Sunshine Development Tour’s East Africa Swing. Their participation in Nigeria therefore gives them another opportunity to test their form against players from a wider range of countries.
The tournament also represents an important moment for the Sunshine Development Tour itself. According to the Tour’s chief executive, David Ndungu, bringing the competition to West Africa is intended to create more opportunities for golfers across the continent and increase interaction between players from different regions.
The event is particularly significant for Nigerian golf because it brings a major international development-tour competition to home soil. Francis Epe, who won the Sunshine Development Tour West Africa Qualifying School, is among the Nigerian professionals expected to compete.
Epe recently won the Nigeria Closed, the domestic phase of the event, by five shots. He will now join the international field for the Lakowe Lakes Classic.
The tournament also includes five female golfers, reflecting the growing participation of women in the Sunshine Development Tour.
With golfers from 10 countries competing, the Lakowe Lakes Classic is expected to provide a competitive test for both the Kenyan visitors and the large Nigerian contingent.
For Kenya’s Madoya, Nduva and Chelogoi, the Lagos event offers the chance to continue building their experience on the development circuit while competing for prize money and ranking points.
The tournament will conclude on October 4, when the winner of the inaugural West African Sunshine Development Tour event will be decided.
