The Sunshine Development Tour will make its first foray into West Africa this week when the Lakowe Lakes Classic tees off at Lakowe Lakes Golf Club in Lagos, Nigeria from 2nd to 4th October, bringing together 139 players from 10 countries for the inaugural West African event on the Tour.
The three-day tournament will feature a strong field of 115 professionals and 24 amateurs, with players from Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Togo, Canada, Cameroon, Rwanda and Uganda set to compete for a share of the US$50,000 prize fund.
Beyond the prize money, players will also be looking to earn valuable Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points and Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points. These ranking points are important for players seeking to progress through the Sunshine Development Tour pathway and access further opportunities on the main Sunshine Tour.
Nigeria provides the largest representation with 105 players including Francis Epe who won the Sunshine Development Tour West Africa Qualifying School, followed by Ghana with 21. Ivory Coast and Kenya have three players each, while Zimbabwe, Togo, Canada, Cameroon, Rwanda and Uganda are each represented by one player.
The field also includes five female golfers, highlighting the growing participation of women across the Sunshine Development Tour.
The Lakowe Lakes Classic represents another step in the Tour’s ambition to provide competitive opportunities for golfers across Africa, extending its footprint beyond its established East African events and creating a platform for players in West Africa to compete alongside golfers from across the continent.
Among the international professionals in the field are Kenya’s Jastas Madoya, Daniel Nduva and Andrew Chelogoi, Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera, Uganda’s Ronald Rugumayo, and a strong group of Nigerian and Ghanaian professionals.
The tournament will also feature a number of players who have competed in recent Sunshine Development Tour events, including Godwin Okoko, Sunday Olapade, Andrew Odoh, Kamalu Bako and Ideriah Solomon, alongside players making their mark on home soil.
David Ndungu, CEO of the Sunshine Development Tour, said the tournament marks an important milestone as the Tour expands its competitive platform into a new region.
“The Lakowe Lakes Classic is an important milestone for the Sunshine Development Tour as we make our first entry into West Africa. The response from players has been encouraging, with 139 golfers from 10 countries coming together for this tournament. It demonstrates the appetite for regular, high-level competition and the importance of creating more opportunities for golfers across the continent.
“We have seen through our events in East Africa how consistent competition can help players gain experience and progress in their careers. Bringing the Tour to West Africa allows us to extend that opportunity to more players while also creating greater interaction between golfers from different parts of Africa. We are looking forward to a competitive tournament and to building on this first step in West Africa.”
The tournament follows the Tour’s 2026 East Africa Swing, which has taken players through a series of competitive events across the region, and provides another opportunity for professionals and amateurs to earn valuable competitive experience.
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