The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
💠 LEADER-BOARD ⛳
✳ S Njogu -3 69 🇰🇪
✳ P Mwangi -1 71 🇰🇪
✳ S Chege +1 73 🇰🇪
✳ I Makokha +2 74 🇰🇪
✳ D Nduva +3 75 🇰🇪
✳ R Gaita +3 75 🇺🇬
✳ J Basabose +3 75 🇺🇬
✳ A Bagalana +3 75 🇺🇬
▶ R Otile +10 82 🇺🇬
💠Venue: Lake Victoria Serena
Entebbe, Uganda | LOUIS JADWONG | Ugandans are nowhere to be seen on the leader board at the 78th Uganda Amateur Golf Open that teed off on Wednesday.
Simon Njogu from Naivasha’s Great Rift Valley Club in Kenya carded a 69, 3 under par as he stormed to a two stroke lead on day-one of Uganda’s most prestigious golf tournament. Kenyans took the first five spots on the leader-board after 18 holes, with the best Ugandan six strokes behind, and defending champion Ronald Otile a staggering 13 behind.
US-based Otile is seeking a fourth title and will have to step up his game in the next three rounds.
“I struggled a bit on the back nine….. I could not make puts yet I was on the green on regulation,” Otile, 24, told NTV Uganda. “It is a game. I played +10 today, but I can still play -10 tomorrow. I am sure it will be better tomorrow,” he added.
With the par-72 course built on the banks of Lake Victoria, most of the fairway has water hazards, which experts say, intimidates many golfers playing at Kigo for the first time.
“It’s full of water….both Ugandan and foreign players were intimidated by the waters on all fairways,” a golf pundit said of the picturesque Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa course at Kigo.
“Few Ugandans play regularly on this course that is why they are struggling. The course is very windy, and the greens are very fast which favours many Kenyans who are used to playing on these kind of course,” Ugandan golf analyst Phillip Corry told The Independent. “Day two will be better for them, so we expect them to bounce back, having got a feel of the course,” he added.
The four-day 72 hole Amateur Open is Ugandan golf’s most prestigious title. This year’s event has come a few days after the Ladies Open that was won by Uganda’s Martha Babirye, and a week before the cash spinning professional Open. (DAY TWO DRAW BOTTOM)
There will be a Pro Am tournament in between, before Dismas Indiza, from Mumias Club, takes to the course to defend his Professional Open title. He leads a Kenyan team of 24 professionals to the event.
Uganda Amateur Open 2019 Draw Day 2 by The Independent Magazine on Scribd
Golf Open Winners since 1932
1932 – H.Davidson (Uganda Golf Club)
1933 – H.Davidson (Uganda Golf Club)
1934 – R.W Hooker (Muthaiga Golf Club)
1935 – J.D Rankine (Uganda Golf Club)
1936 – J.D Rankine (Uganda Golf Clun)
1937 – H. Davidson (Uganda Golf Club)
1938 – R.W Bun (Mombasa Golf Club)
1939 – J.E Higginson
1940 – 1947 NOT HELD
1948 – D. F Stewart (Uganda Golf Club)
1949 – A.Q Roberts (Kitale Golf Club)
1950 – N.C Elwell (Uganda Golf Club)
1951 – N.C Elwell (Mwanza Golf Club)
1952 – J.R Cooke (Uganda Golf Club)
1953 – R.W Hooper (Nairobi Golf Club)
1954 – M.Johnson (Kabalae Golf Club)
1955 – J.R Oglive (Kitale Golf Club)
1956 – J.R Oglive (Kitale Golf Club)
1957 – Ian McAdam (Uganda Golf Club)
1958 – Brian Malone (Uganda Golf Club)
1959 – Ian McAdam (Uganda Golf Club)
1960 – Mike Johnson (Mbale Golf Club)
1961 – Mike Johnson (Mbale Golf Club)
1962 – Mike Johnson (Mbale Golf Club)
1963 – John Higginson (Uganda Golf Club)
1964 – John Higginson (Uganda Golf Club)
1965 – Muhammed Rajab (Nairobi Golf Club)
1966 – John Higginson (Uganda Golf Club)
1967 – I.Pattinson (Dar es Salaam Golf Club)
1968 – G.Burrows (Uganda Golf Club)
1969 – M.Rajab(Nairobi Golf Club)
1970 – M.Couma (Uganda Golf Club)
1971 – J. Kahugu (Sigona Golf Club)
1972 – Ben Okello (Masaka Golf Club)
1973 – Tom Taban (Uganda Golf Club)
1974 – Alex Okodan (Uganda Golf Club)
1975 – Ramathan Kayamba (Uganda Golf Club)
1976 – Sadi Onito (Jinja Golf Club)
1977 – Sadi Onito (Jinja Golf Club)
1978 – Sadi Onito (Jinja Golf Club)
1979 – 1980 – Not held
1981 – Juma Jaffer (Uganda Golf Club)
1982 – Juma Jaffer (Uganda Golf Club)
1983 – Sadi Onito (Uganda Golf Club)
1984 – John Mucheru (Uganda Golf Club)
1985 – Sadi Onito (Jinja Golf Club)
1986 – Sadi Onito (Jinja Golf Club)
1987 – Sadi Onito (Jinja Golf Club)
1988 – Sadi Onito (Jinja Golf Club)
1989 – Allan Njoroge (Muthaiga Golf Club)
1990- Dedan Kagonyera (Kabale Golf Club)
1991 – Sadi Onito (Jinja Golf Club)
1992 – Juma Jaffer (Uganda Golf Club)
1993 – John Gavin (Uganda Golf Club)
1994 – Sadi Onito (Jinja Golf Club)
1995 – Sadi Onito (Jinja Golf Club)
1996 – Sadi Onito (Jinja Golf Club)
1997 – Steven Birungi (Uganda Golf Club)
1998 – Steven Birungi (Uganda Golf Club)
1999 – Steven Birungi (Uganda Golf Club)
2000 – Deo Akope (Entebbe Golf Club)
2001 – Deo Akope (Entebbe Golf Club)
2002 – Deo Akope (Entebbe Golf Club)
2003 – Charles Yokwe (Jinja Golf Club)
2004 – David Odhiambo (Nyanza Golf Club)
2005 – Charles Yokwe (Jinja Golf Club)
2006 – Amos Kamya (Entebbe Golf Club)
2007 – Nicholas Rokoine (Muthaiga Golf Club)
2008 – George Olayo (Entebbe Golf Club)
2009 – Peter Ssendaula (Entebbe Golf Club)
2010 – Brian Mwesigwa (Kabale Golf Club)
2011 –Rogers Byaruhanga (Uganda Golf Club)
2012 – Phillip Kasozi (Uganda Golf Club)
2013 – Peter Ssendaula (Entebbe Golf Club)
2014 – Kitata (Entebbe Golf Club)
2015 – Ronald Otile (Tooro Golf Club)
2016 – Ronald Otile (Tooro Golf Club)
2017 – Ronald Rugumayo (Tooro Golf Club)
2018 – Ronald Otile (Tooro Golf Club)
