Rugumayo qualifies for the Big Easy Tour final in South Africa

Ronald Rugumayo, a Ugandan professional golfer based in South Africa, qualified for the Betway Big Easy Tour Final after finishing 14th among 31 golfers in the playoff at Modderfontein Golf Club in Johannesburg yesterday.

The Play Off event was the penultimate tournament of the season before the final due at the Waterkloof Golf Club, March 17-19.

Only the top 40 players on the Order of Merit competed at Modderfontein, and only the top 30 after that, will be eligible for the final.

 These will be joined by the top 30 players from the Sunshine Development Tour East Africa Swing (SDT), which also ended recently. Windsor Golf & Country Club professional Njoroge Kibugu was crowned the Order of Merit champion of the inaugural SDT East Africa Swing, following a dominant victory at the season finale, the Absa Invitational Series, played at Karen Country Club. 

The Betway Big Easy Tour is the Sunshine Tour’s feeder circuit and enjoys the support of the legendary Ernie Els, among other patrons. Twelve slots will be on offer to play at the Sunshine Tour Final Qualifying School for a chance to secure additional Sunshine Tour cards for the outstanding golfers.  

At Modderfontein, Rugumayo once again showed that consistency and hard work can be rewarding by finishing with a 2-under 214 in 54 holes. He notched 9 birdies, 35 pars, and 5 bogies over the three rounds to continue with his perfect run in the new season.  

Rugumayo opened his 2026 season strongly with a fourth-place finish at the Sunshine Development Tour Absa Invitational Series at Thika Greens in Nairobi a fortnight ago. He then returned to South Africa to compete in the BETWAY Big Easy Tour 10 at Ebotse Links, finishing thirteenth with an overall 1-under 215 over 54 holes. This result placed him among the 33 players who made the cut from a field of 72, earning him 31.05 tour points. 

“Starting the year strong is rewarding because, as professional golfers, this is what we strive for. We dedicate significant time and make many sacrifices to achieve our goals,” Rugumayo said. 

“The goal is to keep pushing into the top 12, as those players will earn the opportunity to compete in the Sunshine Tour next season.” 

In addition to the Big Easy Tour events, Rugumayo plans to return to compete in the Magical Kenya Open, scheduled for February 19-22 at the Karen Country Club. He will participate as one of two non-Kenyans, alongside Rwandan Celestine Nsanzuwera, both of whom are recognized as the top non-Kenyan performers in the Sunshine Development Tour-East Africa Swing tournaments.