The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
🔴 LEADERBOARD Uganda Golf ⛳ Open
✳ Ronald Rugumayo 🇺🇬 67 (-5)
✳ Celestin Nsanzuwera 🇷🇼 69 (-3)
✳ David Kamulindwa 🇺🇬 69 (-3)
Kampala, Uganda | LOUIS JADWONG | Ronald Rugumayo has bemoaned the failure of a Ugandan to win the professional event at the Uganda Golf Open in 8 years, and is already doing something about it.
“Ugandans have been struggling to win the Uganda Open, but this year, I see a Ugandan winning the Open. I can promise you that,” he told NBS Sport before teeing off on day one of the Johnnie Walker Uganda Golf Open at Kitante in Kampala.
By end of a Wednesday, in which rain had left many professionals frustated by the slow greens, Rugumayo had raced into the lead, after carding a stunning 67. A bogey free round of golf that produced 5 birdies and 13 pars, put him two clear going into Thursday’s day two of the Uganda Open.
Close behind him is Rwandan ace Celestin Nsanzuwera, whose final score is remarkable given that in there, he overcame 5 bogeys to hit 69.
All the other list of favourites struggled after  heavy rains at the Kitante golf course forced a delayed start, and late ending with a group or two being caught by bad light at the end of the day.
Kenya’s Kibugu Njoroge is within striking distance, at 2 uner 70, but his elder bother Mutahi Kibugu (76) and Uganda’s Ronald Otile (74) are way back off the pace, and will look for a change of fortunes in the last three rounds to survice the cut.
Amateur champion Godfrey Nsubuga showed he can match the very best, returning a score of a 1 under par, 71.
The winner of the Uganda Pro Golf Open Championship will walk away with sh21 million out of the 100 million prize kitty. The top 30 will share the package and earn points for the Safari Tour.
The tournament is sponsored by Uganda Breweries Limited under their brand Johnnie Walker. Co-sponsors are ABSA Bank Uganda, Pinnacle Security Limited, Crown Beverages, NBS Sport, HK Properties, Medisell, Case Medical Services, HTC Hub, NCS, Royal and Ancient.
✳ Winners of Pro Open since 2006
2006 – Deo Akope (Uganda)
2007 – Dismas Ndiza (Kenya)
2008 – Dismas Ndiza (Kenya)
2009 – Richard Ainley (Kenya)
2010 – Dismus Ndiza (Kenya)
2011 – Dismus Ndiza (Kenya)
2012 – Dismus Ndiza (Kenya)
2013 – Vicent Byamukama (Uganda)
2014 – Deo Akope (Uganda)
2015 – Madalisto Muthiya (Zambia)
2016 – Joshua Seale (South Africa)
2017 – Stephen Ferriera (Portugal)
2018 – Dismas Indiza (Kenya)
2019 – Madalisto Muthiya (Zambia)
2020 – Robson Chinhoi (Zimbabwe)
2021 – Jastas Madoya (Kenya)
2022 – Robson Chinoi
2023 – ????
Day 2 draw
| FIRST TEE | TENTH TEE | |||
| NAME | TIME | NAME | ||
| 1 | JEFF KUBWA (KE) | 8:00 | 1 | STEPHEN KASAIJA (UG) |
| 2 | RICHARD BAGUMA (UG) | 2 | ANDREW ODOH OCHE (NG) | |
| 1 | MERON KYOMUGISHA (AM) | 8:10 | 1 | PAUL A. CHIDALE (MW) |
| 2 | NJOROGE KIBUGU (KE) | 2 | DAVIS KATO (UG) | |
| 3 | ALLOYS NSABIMANA (RW) | 3 | NELSON MUDANYI (KE) | |
| 1 | BORNIFACE SIMWA (KE) | 8:20 | 1 | DISMAS INDIZA (KE) |
| 2 | JOSEPH CWINYAAI (AM) | 2 | LIBERTY GUMISA (ZW) | |
| 3 | DENNIS ANGUYO (UG) | 3 | PAULINO KASOMA (NA) | |
| 1 | ABDALLAH SANZAGALA (TZ) | 8:30 | 1 | MARVIN KIBIRIGE (UG) |
| 2 | HERMAN MUTAAWE (UG) | 2 | IBRAHIM BAGALANA (AM) | |
| 3 | TATENDA MAKUNDE (ZW) | 3 | DAVID KAMULINDWA (UG) | |
| 1 | ERNESTE NDAYISENGA (RW) | 8:40 | 1 | SAMUEL CHEGE (KE) |
| 2 | VINCENT BYAMUKAMA (UG) | 2 | GIFT WILLY (NG) | |
| 3 | MORTON KOMBAI (ZW) | 3 | BULHAN MATOVU (UG) | |
| 1 | ADOLF MUHUMUZA (UG) | 8:50 | 1 | MIKE KISIA (KE) |
| 2 | RONALD OTILE (UG) | 2 | ISAAC WANYECHE (TZ) | |
| 3 | JOHNNY LIMB (KE) | 3 | BRIAN TOOLIT (UG) | |
| 1 | RODELL GAITA (UG) | 9:00 | 1 | IGNATIUS MKETEKETE (ZW) |
| 2 | JULES DUSABE (RW) | 2 | DAVID WAKHU (KE) | |
| 3 | DENNIS SAIKWA (KE) | 3 | IRENE NAKALEMBE (UG) | |
| 1 | FRED WANZALA (UG) | 9:10 | 1 | GREG SNOW (KE) |
| 2 | GANEEV GIDDIE (KE) | 2 | ABBEY BAGALANA (UG) | |
| 3 | EMILLE NSHIMYU (RW) | 3 | SAMUEL KATO (UG) | |
| 1 | GERALD KABUYE (UG) | 9:20 | 1 | NEVY MILAZI (ZW) |
| 2 | CELESTIN NSANZUWERA (RW) | 2 | RONALD RUGUMAYO (UG) | |
| 3 | SILVER OPIO (UG) | 3 | RONNIE BUKENYA (UG) | |
| FIRST TEE | TENTH TEE | |||
| NAME | TIME | NAME | ||
| 1 | OLIVIER MUNYANEZA (RW) | 9:30 | 1 | AARON SIMFUKWE (ZM) |
| 2 | FRED NKURANGA (UG) | 2 | GODFREY NSUBUGA (AM) | |
| 3 | PETER TUMUSIIME (AM) | 3 | ABRAHAM AINAMANI (UG) | |
| 1 | JASTAS MADOYA (KE) | 9:40 | 1 | JOSEPH W. KARANJA (KE) |
| 2 | EMMA OGWANG (UG) | 2 | MUTAHI KIBUGU (KE) | |
| 3 | FLAVIA NAMAKULA (UG) | 3 | BECCA MWANJA (UG) | |
| BREAK | ||||
| 1 | CANARY KABISE (UG) | 11:30 | 1 | GILBERT ASIIMWE (AM) |
| 2 | GEORGE FELIX (KE) | 2 | DECO H. MUTEBI (UG) | |
| 3 | HASSAN KIYEMBA (AM) | 3 | ISAIAH OTUKE (KE) | |
| 1 | MICHAEL TUMUSIIME (AM) | 11:40 | 1 | GRACE KASANGO (UG) |
| 2 | ROBERT HAPPY (UG) | 2 | ERICK OOKO (KE) | |
| 3 | TONY OMULI (KE) | 3 | PEACE KABASWEKA (AM) | |
| 1 | RIZWAN CHARANIA (KE) | 11:50 | 1 | HUSSEIN BAGALANA (UG) |
| 2 | JACOB OKELLO (KE) | 2 | DANIEL NDUVA (KE) | |
| 3 | WILLY DEUS (UG) | 3 | EDWIN MUDANYI (KE) | |
| 1 | NELSON SIMWA (KE) | 12:00 | 1 | ROBINSON OWITI (KE) |
| 2 | VISITOR MAPWANYA (ZW) | 2 | MACKIE NASSER (UG) | |
| 3 | PHILLIP KASOZI (UG) | 3 | NURU MOLLEL (TZ) | |
| 1 | CJ WANGAI (KE) | 12:10 | 1 | JOSEPH KASOZI (AM) |
| 2 | HESBON KUTWA (KE) | 2 | TOM JINGO (UG) | |
| 3 | JAMES KOTO (UG) | 3 | ANDREW CHELOGOI (KE) | |
| 1 | FRANCOIS HABIMANA (RW) | 12:20 | 1 | ASHRAF BAGALANA (UG) |
| 2 | FADHIL INKYA (TZ) | 2 | JOHN KARICHU (KE) | |
| 3 | HENRY LUJJA (UG) | 3 | MORRIS ASHABA (AM) | |
| 1 | KEVIN MABELE (KE) | 12:30 | 1 | MORTON MUWOWO (ZM) |
| 2 | FRANK MWINUKA (TZ) | 2 | LAWRENCE MUHENDA (UG) | |
| 3 | ALLY ISANZU (AM) | 3 | TITUS OKWONG (AM) | |
