The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Zambia’s Moore takes commanding Day One lead after shooting 64 in Entebbe
🟢 DAY 1 leaderboard ⛳️🏌️
1⃣ Moore 🇿🇲 64 -7
2⃣ Madoya 🇰🇪 66 -5
3⃣ Chege 🇰🇪 68 -3
4⃣ Ainamani 🇺🇬 69 -2
✳ Celestine 🇷🇼 70 -1
✳ Kisia 🇰🇪 70 -1
✳ Onito 🇺🇬 70 -1
✳ J Akena 🇺🇬 (AM) 71 0
✳ Muhumuza 🇺🇬 71 0
✳ Cwinyaai 🇺🇬 71 (AM) 0
✳ Kasozi 🇺🇬 71 0
✳ Mapwanya 🇿🇼 71 0
✳ Lembris 🇹🇿 71 0
Entebbe, Uganda | LOUIS JADWONG & UGU MEDIA | Towering South Africa-based Zambia golfer Dayne Jr Moore got off to a flying start at the 2024 Johnnie Walker Uganda Professional Golf Open Wednesday, carding a 7 under-par 64, with the closest home player being Abraham Ainimani, five shots back.
Moore shot a near-faultless round of 64 to take a two-shot lead on day one at the par-71 Entebbe Golf Club. Moore, 32, sunk nine birdies which included all the par-5s. His two bogeys were on the par-3s, 6 and 16. It was a remarkable card by all accounts and was most notable for not having a 5 on any hole. Simply impressive stuff!
Chasing Moore Thursday will be the Kenyan pair of ‘Pastor’ Jastas Madoya, the 2021 champion, and Samuel Njoroge Chege who played 66 and 68 respectively. Chege holed birdies in four of the final six holes to thrust himself into contention with a finishing flourish that was emulated by the man behind him, Abraham Ainamani.
Ainamani, whose name means ‘He has power’, will carry the home crowd’s hopes.
The Palm Valley-based Ugandan professional started with a bogey on the opening hole and crossed the halfway mark at two-over after another bogey on the par-3 eighth. But he turned on the style on the back nine and played birdies on 13, 14, 15 and 18 to card a 69, which was the best by a Ugandan.
Adolf Muhumuza, who played a level-par round of 71, believes that the course conditions favour long hitters. “If you hit the ball far and consistently find the fairways, you are definitely going to score because the course is running very fast,” Muhumuza explained.
Other Ugandans who had decent starts and have left themselves perfectly placed for the Cut are Opio Onito who played 70, Philip Kasozi with a level-par 71 and Deo Akope with a one-over 72.
Robson Chinhoi, Dismas Indiza and Ronald Rugumayo played rounds of 73, 74, and 75 and will be in aggressive mode on Thursday to make certain of their places on Friday. Entebbe’s back nine is the scoring side of the course but Rugumayo played it three-over. He will have to do better to avoid the ignominy of missing the Cut.
The 19th edition of the Johnnie Walker Uganda Uganda Professionals Open has been supported by Hisense, Case Medical Services, Pinnacle Security Limited, HH Solutions, Medisell, NBS Sport, NCS, Pepsi & Aquafina and MTN.
Thursday Draw
| GAME | NAME | TIME | GAME | NAME | TIME | ||
| 1 | 1 | HERMAN MUTAAWE (UG) | 7:00 | 10 | 1 | TITUS OKWONG (AM) | 8:30 |
| 2 | VALENTIN OPARAH (CI) | 2 | JOHN KARICHU (KE) | ||||
| 3 | MICHEL BULA BULA (CM) | ||||||
| 2 | 1 | DAVID ODHIAMBO (KE) | 7:10 | 11 | 1 | DAVID KAMULINDWA (UG) | 8:40 |
| 2 | TONGOONA CHARAMBA (ZW) | 2 | BECCA MWANJA (UG) | ||||
| 3 | LUCKY AYISAH (GH) | ||||||
| 3 | 1 | DANIEL NDUVA (KE) | 7:20 | 12 | 1 | ADOLF MUHUMUZA (UG) | 8:50 |
| 2 | RAJAB P. IDDY (TZ) | 2 | PRIDE SEMBO (ZW) | ||||
| 3 | RICHARD BAGUMA (UG) | 3 | BRIAN MWESIGWA (UG) | ||||
| 4 | 1 | ERNESTE NDAYISENGA (RW) | 7:30 | 13 | 1 | TOM JINGO (UG) | 9:00 |
| 2 | JULIEN AWOUDA (CM) | 2 | ASHRAF BAGALANA (UG) | ||||
| 3 | ALOYS NSABIMANA (RW) | 3 | HESBON KUTWA (KE) | ||||
| 5 | 1 | SHEM ORWENYO (KE) | 7:40 | 14 | 1 | JOSEPH R. AKENA (AM) | 9:10 |
| 2 | PROMISE SOMBREIRO (ZW) | 2 | BONIFACE SIMWA (KE) | ||||
| 3 | ISAIAH OTUKE (KE) | 3 | SALUM DILUNGA (TZ) | ||||
| 6 | 1 | JOHN MBURU (KE) | 7:50 | 15 | 1 | ABDUL KAKEETO (AM) | 9:20 |
| 2 | FRED WANZALA (UG) | 2 | GRACE KASANGO (UG) | ||||
| 3 | CJ WANGAI (KE) | 3 | EMMA OGWANG (UG) | ||||
| 7 | 1 | DEZZIE NGANDU (ZM) | 8:00 | 16 | 1 | SYDNEY WEMBA (ZM) | 9:30 |
| 2 | DENNIS ANGUYO (UG) | 2 | CLIVE MUCHENJE (ZW) | ||||
| 3 | MORTON KOMBAI (ZW) | 3 | IBRAHIM SSEMAKULA (AM) | ||||
| 8 | 1 | WILLY D. KITATA (UG) | 8:10 | 17 | 1 | GRACE OCICI (UG) | 9:40 |
| 2 | DENNIS SAIKWA (KE) | 2 | VINCENT BYAMUKAMA (UG) | ||||
| 3 | ANDREW CHELOGOI (KE) | 3 | SAMUEL N. CHEGE (KE) | ||||
| 9 | 1 | PRISTHY FON (CM) | 8:20 | 18 | 1 | RONALD RUGUMAYO (UG) | 9:50 |
| 2 | NURU MOLLEL (TZ) | 2 | DAYNE J. MOORE (ZM) | ||||
| 3 | CANARY KABISE (UG) | 3 | HUSSEIN BAGALANA (UG) | ||||
| GAME | NAME | TIME | GAME | NAME | TIME | ||
| 19 | 1 | HENRY LUJJA (UG) | 10:00 | 28 | 1 | GREG SNOW (KE) | 11:30 |
| 2 | MARTIAL TANKOU (CM) | 2 | RONALD OTILE (UG) | ||||
| 3 | SAMUEL KATO (UG) | 3 | NEVY MILAZI (ZW) | ||||
| 20 | 1 | RODELL GAITA (UG) | 10:10 | 29 | 1 | ELISANTE LEMBRIS (TZ) | 11:40 |
| 2 | DEO AKOPE (UG) | 2 | MACKIE NASSER (UG) | ||||
| 3 | DISMAS INDIZA (KE) | 3 | LIBERTY GUMISA (ZW) | ||||
| 21 | 1 | OPIO ONITO (UG) | 10:20 | 30 | 1 | ABBEY BAGALANA (UG) | 11:50 |
| 2 | HERMAN D. MUTEBI (UG) | 2 | SILVER OPIO (UG) | ||||
| 3 | NELSON MUDANYI (KE) | 3 | SULLIVAN MUTHUGIA (KE) | ||||
| 22 | 1 | ABRAHAM AINAMANI (UG) | 10:30 | 31 | 1 | ROBERT HAPPY (UG) | 12:00 |
| 2 | DAVIS KATO (UG) | 2 | GEORGE FELIX (KE) | ||||
| 3 | FLAVIA NAMAKULA (UG) | 3 | ANDREW ODOH (NG) | ||||
| 23 | 1 | MUTAHI KIBUGU (KE) | 10:40 | 32 | 1 | ADEL BALALA (AM) | 12:10 |
| 2 | MARVIN KIBIRIGE (UG) | 2 | ROBINSON OWITI (KE) | ||||
| 3 | ERICK OOKO (KE) | 3 | RESTY NALUTAAYA (AM) | ||||
| 24 | 1 | MIKE KISIA (KE) | 10:50 | 33 | 1 | JASTAS MADOYA (KE) | 12:20 |
| 2 | JW KARANJA (KE) | 2 | JACOB OKELLO (KE) | ||||
| 3 | MICHAEL TUMUSIIME (AM) | 3 | JOSEPH CWINYAAI (AM) | ||||
| 25 | 1 | SIMON NGIGE (KE) | 11:00 | 34 | 1 | TONY OMULI (KE) | 12:30 |
| 2 | NYASHA MUYAMBO (ZW) | 2 | MARTIN OCHAYA (UG) | ||||
| 3 | IRENE NAKALEMBE (UG) | 3 | MARTHA BABIRYE (AM) | ||||
| 26 | 1 | BULHAN MATOVU (UG) | 11:10 | 35 | 1 | ROBSON CHINHOI (ZW) | 12:40 |
| 2 | DAVID WAKHU (KE) | 2 | EDWIN MUDANYI (KE) | ||||
| 3 | KELLY TEMBO (ZM) | 3 | EVAH MAGALA (UG) | ||||
| 27 | 1 | JAMES KOTO (UG) | 11:20 | 36 | 1 | JEFF KUBWA (KE) | 12:50 |
| 2 | NELSON SIMWA (KE) | 2 | JOSEPH MAWEJJE (UG) | ||||
| 3 | ISAAC WANYECHE (TZ) | 3 | ALFRED NANDWA (KE) | ||||
| GAME | NAME | TIME | |
| 37 | 1 | RONALD BUKENYA (UG) | 1:00 |
| 2 | ROMARIC DJEZOU (CI) | ||
| 3 | CELESTIN NSANZUWERA (RW) | ||
| 38 | 1 | PHILLIP KASOZI (UG) | 1:10 |
| 2 | VISITOR MAPWANYA (ZW) | ||
| 3 | WESLEY BARUGU (NG) | ||
| 39 | 1 | NJOROGE KIBUGU (KE) | 1:20 |
| 2 | FRED NKURANGA (UG) | ||
| 3 | FADHYL NKYA (TZ) | ||
✳ Winners of Pro Open since 2006
2006 – Deo Akope (Uganda)
2007 – Dismas Indiza (Kenya)
2008 – Dismas Indiza(Kenya)
2009 – Richard Ainley (Kenya)
2010 – Dismas Indiza (Kenya)
2011 – Dismas Indiza (Kenya)
2012 – Dismas Indiza (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 – Dismus Ndiza (Kenya)
2024 – …………
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