Nyali Golf & Country Club professional Daniel Nduva produced a remarkable back-nine comeback to win the NCBA Royal Classic, the second leg of the 2026 Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing, played at Royal Nairobi Golf Club.
Nduva, who began the final round tied for second place, carded a level-par 72 to finish the tournament on 3-under par 213, securing his maiden Sunshine Development Tour title and the winner’s cheque of KES 400,000 from the tournament’s KES 2 million prize purse.
The victory was anything but straightforward for the coastal golfer, who endured a difficult opening nine.
His front nine featured bogeys on the 1st and 8th holes as well as a costly double-bogey on the 7th, leaving him with work to do heading into the closing stretch.
However, Nduva mounted a spirited recovery on the back nine, sinking crucial birdies on the 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th and 17th holes to claw his way back into contention and eventually emerge victorious.
Speaking after his win, Nduva credited his driving and resilience for helping him secure the title.
“It feels really good to get this win. The front nine was challenging and I had a few unlucky breaks, but I stayed patient and kept believing in my game. On the back nine, I hit every fairway and every green, and that gave me the confidence to attack the pins and create birdie opportunities.” “My driving was probably the strongest part of my game today. When you’re hitting the driver well, it gives you confidence throughout the rest of your game. I managed tomake five birdies on the back nine and that ultimately made the difference.” “Last year I struggled with injury, so to come back and win again means a lot to me. This victory is a reminder that golf is about staying patient, fighting through the difficult moments and believing in yourself even when things are not going your way.”
For his efforts, Nduva pocketed KES 400,000 from the tournament’s KES 2 million prizepurse, in addition to valuable Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points.
The battle for the title remained tight throughout the final round, with six players eventually sharing second place on 1-under par 215.
The group comprised Kenya’s John Lejirma, Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera, DavidWakhu, Greg Snow, amateur Adel Balala, and Nigeria’s Sunday Olapade, who had started the day as the overnight leader. For their performances, the six players each earned KES 114,833 from the prize purse.
Commenting on his performance, Snow said:
“I’m pleased with the way I fought throughout the week. Royal Nairobi is always a demanding course and you have to stay patient because opportunities can come at any time. I gave myself chances, but a few shots here and there made the difference. Finishing tied for second is still a positive result and gives me confidence heading into the next events.” Lejirma, who continued his impressive start to life as a professional golfer, said: “It was a solid week overall. There are definitely positives I can take from my game, even though I would have loved to get over the line. The competition was very strong and it came down to small margins. As a new professional, every tournament is an opportunity to learn, improve and continue building momentum for the season.”
Amateur golfer Adel Balala said: “It’s encouraging to be in contention against such a strong professional field. I learned alot over the three days, especially about managing pressure when you’re near the top of the leaderboard. I’ll take the lessons from this week and continue working hard on my game.
” On his part, overnight leader Sunday Olapade said: “It was a tough final round and unfortunately I couldn’t maintain the momentum from yesterday, but that’s golf. The competition was excellent and I enjoyed the challenge. I’ll take the positives from the week and continue working hard as the season progresses.”
The NCBA Royal Classic attracted a strong field of 96 local and international professionals and amateurs from across Africa and beyond, all competing for Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and Sunshine Development Tour Order of Merit points.
The tournament also marked the second event of the 2026/27 Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing season following the opening leg at Thika Sports Club, won by Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera.
Attention now shifts to the next leg of the Tour at Vetlab Sports Club this Sunday, 14th to 16th June, as players continue their pursuit of Sunshine Tour progression opportunities and valuable Order of Merit points in what promises to be another highly competitive season.
