First win on the Sunshine Tour. South African Kyle de Beer on claiming a win at the 2026
KIGALI — South African golfers dominated the inaugural Rwanda Open, with Kyle de Beer claiming his first Sunshine Tour title by six strokes at Kigali Golf Resort & Villas on Sunday.
De Beer, from Gqeberha, fired an 8-under-par 64 in the final round to finish the four-day tournament on 27 under par, with a total score of 261.
Fellow South African Estiaan Conradie finished second on 21 under par.
Six of the eight players listed at the top of the leaderboard were South African, with Daniel Cronje, Travis Procter, Ryan van der Klis and Cole Stevens all finishing on 20 under par.
They shared third place with Germany’s Allen John and France’s Benjamin Kedochim.
The leaderboard
| Position | Player | Country | Total | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Kyle de Beer | South Africa | 261 | -27 |
| 2nd | Estiaan Conradie | South Africa | 267 | -21 |
| T3rd | Daniel Cronje | South Africa | 268 | -20 |
| T3rd | Allen John | Germany | 268 | -20 |
| T3rd | Benjamin Kedochim | France | 268 | -20 |
| T3rd | Travis Procter | South Africa | 268 | -20 |
| T3rd | Ryan van der Klis | South Africa | 268 | -20 |
| T3rd | Cole Stevens | South Africa | 268 | -20 |
De Beer’s winning caddie, Stanley May, was awarded the Sunshine Tour caddie medallion for his role in the victory.
Rwanda Open was organised by Greenride Africa in partnership with the Sunshine Tour, Visit Rwanda, the Ministry of Sports and the Rwanda Golf Union.
Corporate sponsors included NCBA Bank Rwanda.
De Beer pulls away on Sunday
De Beer and England’s Joe Sullivan began the final round tied for the lead on 19 under par.
De Beer quickly moved clear, making birdies on three of his first four holes before adding five more birdies during the round to finish with a 64.
“To be into all of those without any stress… it’s a great time to win,” De Beer said.
The victory earns De Beer exemptions into the Sunshine Tour’s co-sanctioned summer events later in the season.
Home fans cheer Nsanzuwera
The Kigali course produced low scores throughout the four days.
South Africa’s Travis Procter and Nikhil Rama shared the first-round lead on 9 under par.
On Friday, Sullivan, a former English Amateur champion, came close to golfing history with a 12-under-par 60. His round included two eagles and eight birdies, taking him to 15 under par and the outright lead after the second round.
Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera was the best-placed East African player in the field.
He closed with a 5-under-par 67 on Sunday to finish tied for 25th on 14 under par.
Jean Baptiste Hakizimana also finished inside the top 30, while Kenya’s Greg Snow was among the other strong performers from the region.
A first for Rwanda
The Rwanda Open was played from September 24 to 27 and marked Rwanda’s first full Sunshine Tour event.
The tournament carried a prize fund of Rwf2.5 billion, equivalent to about US$135,000, as well as Official World Golf Ranking points.
The event also combined professional golf with entertainment and family activities, including live music, DJ performances, a children’s zone, and food and drinks.
Sunshine Tour and Visit Rwanda announced the tournament in July as part of efforts to expand professional golf in Africa.
The inaugural event brings Kigali onto the Sunshine Tour’s professional golf calendar and gives Rwanda a new platform for hosting international golf.
