Sept 19-22
LEADERBOARD
A Ssekibejja 71,76, 75 | 222
M Tumusiime 72,73, 80 | 225
J Cwinya-ai 80,69, 78 | 227
G Nsubuga 75,77, 76 | 228
J Kasozi 78,73, 81 | 232
Kigo, Uganda | LOUIS JADWONG & PHILLIP CORRY | It is frequently rumored in the corridors of leading Ugandan golf clubs that, “the day one leader never wins the title.”
The Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa course and club is no exception, and the rumor was alive and well, until yesterday when day one leader Andrew Ssekibejja placed himself in a position ‘to do the unthinkable.’
Ssekibejja is on his home course, and his 75 strokes after round 3 Friday put him back into the lead, 48 hours after he set the pace at the 81st Uganda Amateur Open.
The three strokes lead he has over the chasing pack makes Ssekibejja favorite to break the ‘day one leader jinx’ that showed its ugly face when Lake Victoria Serena last hosted the Open.
In 2019, Simon Njogu Muthoni led on day one, but it was his fellow countryman Daniel Nduva who clinched the title by one stroke (286). Nduva also helped break a Kenyan jinx at the Open, as the last person from Nairobi to have won, was Nicholas Rokoine from Muthaiga Golf Club way back in 2007.
The two players Ssekibejja will have to watch out for is day 2 leader Michael Tumusiime, who is gunning for his first title, and the supremely confident defending champion Joseph ‘Joe’ Cwinya-ai.
Andrew Ssekibejja regained his lead after carding a round of three-over 75 on Friday, heading into the final day action with a three-shot advantage over the chasing pack at the 81st #TuskerMaltUgOpen @lvictoriaserena @Kujooga pic.twitter.com/lJOifoCzxo
— Eddie Chicco (@Kujooga) October 21, 2022
All eyes will be on Cwinya-ai, who showed what he can do with his stunning 69 on Thursday, that indicated he will have a say on who is crowned champion in 2022.
” I am not under any pressure at all because I have won before, so the pressure is going to be on those that are trying to win it for the first time. There will be some pressure but not as intense as it was before,” he told The New Vision, ahead of the tournament.
Birdies on holes 3, 5, 8 and 12, plus an eagle on 13, left the course record set in 2019 at his mercy, but two bogeys followed as Cwinya-ai ended 3 under par. The Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa course amateur record of 66 strokes is held by three-time champion Ronald Otile. (*Professional Dismas Indiza’s 63 is overall course record)
A 66: Ronald Otile smashes Serena golf course record
The four-day 72 hole Amateur Open is Ugandan golf’s most prestigious title. This year’s event that has Tusker Malt Lager as lead sponsor, has again come a few days after the Ladies Open that was won by Uganda’s Martha Babirye, and a week before the professional Open.
The greatest name in the history of the Uganda golf open is Sadi Onito,(RIP) who won the Uganda Open a record 12 times.
>>READ MORE and see tee times AllAfrica.com
