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🟥 Day One Leaderboard🏌🏿♀
⚪ Marvin Kibirige 68
⚪ Ronald Rugumayo 68
🟢 Rodell Gaita 70
🟢 Tom Jingo 70
🟢 Deo Akope 71
🟢 David Kamulindwa 71
🟢 Irene Nakalembe 71
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & UGC MEDIA | Marvin Max Kibirige and Ronald Rugumayo gave the inaugural Pearl of Africa Golf Series the flying start many were looking forward to, with similar scores of four-under 68 on day one at Uganda Golf Club (UGC) Kitante.
The Pearl of Africa series were started by Dr Edward Nyatia, the chairman, and golf enthusiast Juliet Anena with the aim of elevating the quality of golf in the country for the professionals and elite amateurs.
The UGC leg is the first of the series with Entebbe set to be the next hosts. Lugazi will be the final leg in June, two months before the Uganda Open. The professionals are playing for a kitty of Shs20m while the amateurs will share Shs5m.
Kibirige in strong position
Kibirige, who is famed for incredible distance off the tee, finished the front nine four-under and looked to finish with a 67 before blocking his tee-shot on the final hole. He scrambled for bogey to post an imposing card of 68 that leaves him in a strong position.
Joining him at the top of the leaderboard is pre-tournament favourite Ronald Rugumayo who played a bogey-free round of 68. Rugumayo is famed for holding position, and his expected duel with Kibirige should be quite a spectacle.
Oddly for a player of his skill, Rugumayo had only one par-5 birdie but he was happy with his day’s work.
“I loved that the greens are holding and tomorrow will be a better day, hopefully,” a relaxed Rugumayo said
In joint-second place are Rodell Gaita and Tom Jingo, who both returned two-under 70. Gaita’s round included a glorious eagle on 13 and he was buoyed by his return despite a bogey on the final hole that denied him outright ownership of second position.
Jingo meanwhile birdied four of the first five holes but a double-bogey on the fourth stained his otherwise impressive start. Still, a score of two-under leaves him in a decent position to mount a chase today.
Nakalembe 3 off the pace
The trio of Irene Nakalembe, Deo Akope and David Kamulindwa are all three shots off the pace.
Three golfers, Fred Wanzala, Fred Nkuranga and Joseph Mawejje were disqualified after they arrived late on the tee.
The course was running all day but the greens were watered adequately enough to reward golfers who attacked them well.
In the gross amateurs, John Musimenta played the round of his life to card a seven-under 65. He holed seven birdies on 3, 4, 8,9 , 13, 16 and 17.
It is highly unlikely that his position at the top of the leaderboard will be threatened. Especially when you consider that the golfer in second position is Roony Okoti, who played level.
National team golfer Ibrahim Ssemakula and Joseph Kankolera are tied in joint-third.
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