Fresh from his victory at the inaugural NCBA Kisii Open, John Lejirma has carried his winning momentum into the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing Qualifying School tournament.
The elite amateur from Royal Nairobi Golf Club is in pole position after the first round, carding an impressive three-under-par (-3) to take the lead at the par-71 Great Rift Valley Lodge and Golf Resort in Naivasha.
Lejirma, who started his round from the back nine, returned a one-under-par 35 through his first nine holes, courtesy of a birdie at the par-5 14th.
He then ignited his front-nine charge with back-to-back birdies at the par-4 first and second holes, before dropping his only shot of the day at the par-4 fifth.
A final birdie at the eighth, along with a steady par finish on the remaining holes, saw him sign off with an impressive three-under-par 68, securing the clubhouse lead.
Speaking on his performance, Lejirma expressed his excitement:
“This is a huge opportunity, to play in the Q-School tournament, especially as an amateur—it’s a dream come true! I arrived last night from Kisii, where I shot four-under-par, so I was charged up for this one. I just played in regulation, kept the ball on the fairway, and went from there—it worked well.”
Hot on Lejirma’s heels are Greg Snow (Muthaiga Golf Club) and Isaiah Otuke (Vetlab Sports Club), both tied at two-under-par (-2).
Both players staged strong comebacks on the back nine after a challenging start.
Otuke had to overcome early pressure from his playing group, which included Michael Karanga and Michael Kisia, both of whom started strong on the front nine before struggling with consecutive double bogeys at the 13th and 14th holes.
“Coming into this tournament, I lowered my expectations. I played a quick nine yesterday in preparation through the back nine. I missed a lot of birdies on the front nine, but I managed to get back into regulation on the back nine,” said Otuke.
Snow, on the other hand, held par through his opening nine holes, mixing two birdies with two bogeys, before stabilizing his game on the back nine, where he carded two birdies while holding par on the rest of the holes, finishing with a two-under-par 69.
“I want to thank the organizers and IMG Kenya for putting this together. It’s a great initiative that gives us exposure as East Africans, competing against the best. Hopefully, I’ll make the top 10 to play in South Africa,” said Snow.
He added, “It was a great start, though I feel I left some shots out there. The swirling wind made it tricky, but going forward, I just want to stick to my game plan, stay patient, and give myself as many opportunities as possible.”
Meanwhile, Michael Karanga sits at one-under-par (-1) in fourth place, while the trio of Edwin Mudanyi, Erick Ooko Obura, and Njoroge Kibugu are tied for fifth at even-par (E).
Round two action tees off at 7:30 AM, as players battle to make the cut and compete through Wednesday and Thursday for a share of the KES 1 million prize purse.
The top 10 finishers will earn a coveted spot in the Sunshine Tour Final Stage Qualifier, set for April 8–11, 2025, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
