Kakamega Sports Club’s Dismas Indiza produced a dramatic comeback to defeat Royal Nairobi’s John Lejirma in a sudden-death playoff and secure victory at the Ruiru leg of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing yesterday.

Starting the day five shots behind, Indiza capitalised on Lejirma’s early mistakes, carding a level-par 72 to tie at 4-under par 212 after regulation play.

In the playoff, Indiza sealed the win with a birdie on the par-4 18th, as Lejirma could only manage par, earning the Sh400,000 winner’s cheque from the Sh2 million prize purse.

Indiza made a strong start to his round, firing birdies on the 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 9th holes, with a lone bogey on the 7th. On the back nine, he dropped shots at the 12th and 13th but recovered with clutch birdies on the 16th and 17th to close his round at level-par 72, tying Lejirma at 4-under par 212 to force the playoff.

Speaking after his win, Indiza said: “It feels great to win again. I stayed patient, even when things got tight in the middle of the round. I knew if I kept giving myself chances, something would happen. The playoff was all about composure, and I’m glad I executed the birdie on 18. This is a great win for me, especially with such a strong field and many top amateurs and young players coming up strongly on this tour.”

Lejirma, who had carried a commanding five-shot lead into the final day, struggled early, with two double bogeys in his first three holes to surrender his advantage.

A bogey on the 4th followed, before a birdie at the 7th offered a brief recovery. He picked up another birdie on the 14th but closed his round with bogeys on 16 and 17 to finish on a round score of 5-over par 77, ultimately falling into the playoff.

Reflecting on the round, Lejirma said: “It was a tough day. I didn’t start well and made a few costly mistakes early. I tried to fight back but couldn’t fully recover. Credit to Indiza for staying solid and finishing strongly. There are a lot of positives to take from this week, and I’ll keep building from here.”

Rizwan Charania and Samuel Njoroge shared third place, both finishing at 1-under par 215 for the tournament.

Charania played a consistent final round, carding a level-par 72 with pars across all 18 holes.

Njoroge, who started the day at 3-under par after strong earlier rounds, posted a 2-over par 74 on the final day to slip into the tie for third.

 “It was a steady week for me. I played solid golf, kept mistakes to a minimum, and stayed patient out there. The conditions were fair but challenging, so I’m pleased with how I managed my game. Finishing tied for third is a good result, and I’ll take the positives into the next events on the swing,” said Riz Charania after his round.

Brothers Mutahi Kibugu and Njoroge Kibugu tied for fifth at even-par 216. Mutahi produced one of the best rounds of the tournament with a brilliant 6-under par 66 to climb the leaderboard, making birdies on the 6th, 8th, 9th, and 15th while avoiding any dropped shots on the day.

On the other hand, Njoroge, the Thika Greens leg winner, finished with birdies on the 3rd, 11th, and 18th but was set back by bogeys on the 2nd and 9th, along with a double bogey on the 11th.

Naom Wafula of Vipingo Ridge Golf Resort once again led the women’s field, finishing strongly in eighth place overall with a total of 2-over par 218 after another steady round.

Wafula maintained her form throughout the tournament, reinforcing her status as one of the region’s top amateur prospects.

“I’m happy with how I played throughout the week. My goal was to stay consistent and give myself chances, and I managed to do that. It’s great to finish inside the top 10 in such a strong field. Every tournament on this tour gives me more confidence and valuable experience to keep improving my game,” Wafula said.

Rwanda’s Celestine Nsanzuwera finished as the highest-ranked foreign player, closing his tournament at 1-over par 217 to claim seventh place on the final leaderboard.

Nsanzuwera capped his week with an impressive final round of 4-under par 68, one of the lowest rounds of the day.