John Lejirma Clinches Johnnie Walker Classic Title After Dramatic Playoff at Royal

Kenya’s top amateur golfer John Lejirma of Royal Nairobi Golf Club produced a composed performance under pressure to claim victory at the Johnnie Walker Classic, the sixth leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, following a dramatic playoff at his home course on Wednesday at his home course.

Lejirma, who began the final round with a commanding four-shot lead over his closest challenger Njoroge Kibugu, saw his advantage wiped out as Kibugu mounted a spirited comeback. Despite dropping a single shot on the par-4 11th hole, Lejirma held his nerve to force a sudden-death playoff after both players tied on 10-under-par after regulation play.

On the playoff hole – the par-4 18th – Lejirma kept his composure to card a par, as Kibugu faltered with a bogey, handing the home favourite a hard-fought and emotional victory.

Lejirma began his final round brightly with a birdie on the opening hole, adding two more on holes 6 and 7 before playing level par the rest of the front. He went bogey-free through the first nine holes and finished the day with a 2-under-par 70 to close the tournament on an overall score of 10-under-par.

An emotional Lejirma reflected on his victory, saying: “It’s been a long journey. The first leg slipped away from me, and in another event, I lost in a playoff by just a whisker, but I didn’t give up. I went back to the drawing board, did what needed to be done, and here we are.

Coming into this week, I knew I had an advantage playing at home. I told myself to stay patient, stay focused, and finish strong, and I’m so glad it paid off. Honestly, the pressure was there. I kept reminding myself that this was my moment. The support from my fellow Royal members gave me extra motivation, even though it added a bit of pressure. I stayed calm, trusted my game, and kept telling myself, ‘Lej, you need this, and you’ve got this.’ When it went to the playoff, I knew this was my chance. I focused, stuck to my plan, and reminded myself that in golf, anything can happen. Fortunately, it went my way.”

Being an amateur, Lejirma took home Ksh. 130,000 for his performance along with 210 Order of Merit points on the Tour.

Second-placed Njoroge Kibugu of Windsor Golf and Country Club delivered a superb final round of 6-under-par 66, capitalizing on Lejirma’s conservative play to erase the deficit and force the playoff. His round featured birdies on holes 2, 7, 10, 14, 15, and 17, with his only dropped shot coming at the par-3 sixth.

Kibugu earned Ksh. 214,000 from the Ksh. 2 million prize purse, along with 172 Order of Merit points.
Reflecting on his round, Kibugu said: “It was a really strong round. I stayed patient, trusted my swing, and gave myself good chances all through. Pushing it to a playoff felt great, and although it didn’t go my way, I’m proud of how I played and how I finished the tournament.”

Finishing tied for third were Gaita Tadeo Rodell of Uganda and Kenya’s Dismas Indiza, both closing at 3-under-par 213. Rodell posted rounds of 70, 75, and 68, with a brilliant four-under-par in the final round, while Indiza registered rounds of 72, 71, and 70, finishing two-under-par on the final day. Each earned Ksh. 123,000 and 99 Order of Merit points for their efforts.

Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera finished tied for fifth on 1-under-par 215 (73, 73, 69) alongside Kenya’s Erick Ooko (71, 72, 72). Nsanzuwera’s solid showing earned him the distinction of being the highest-placed non-Kenyan player in the field.

The Johnnie Walker Classic was the sixth leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, a regional professional golf circuit designed to provide a pathway for African golfers to earn Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points while competing for Order of Merit standings and prize money.

The tournament was supported by East African Breweries through its Johnnie Walker brand, alongside Vivo Energy Kenya, Pure Travel, and Magical Kenya, and hosted by Royal Nairobi Golf Club.