Nakalembe eyes fourth Castle Lite Entebbe Ladies Open title

Cup delight. Nakalembe (C) receiving her third Entebbe Ladies Open crown from Castle Lite brand manager Julian Sentamu (R) and Britam Insurance’s Edgar Muzahura last year. Nakalembe must work the magic again. PHOTOS BY EDDIE CHICCO

What you need to know:

  • Golf. The Entebbe golfing queen notched the crown by nine strokes last year after taking charge on the first day with four-shot advantage.

KAMPALA.

Irene Nakalembe does certainly enjoy a slice of history whenever the opportunity to further etch her names into Ugandan golfing folklore presents itself.
This weekend will present the local golfing queen another chance at the eighth edition of the Castle Lite Entebbe Ladies Open – a Uganda Golf Union (UGU) sanctioned calendar event.
Nakalembe treaded where no one else has ever when she became the first lady in the region to win the tournament in question three times in a row last year.

Sponsorship packages
Now, she wants more. “Fourth in a row will be awesome,” said the Entebbe-based star in the wake of Castle Lite and Britam Insurance’s unveiling of sponsorship packages worth a collective Shs50m.
“It is going to be tighter,” added the 33-year-old when asked type of competition she envisaged lay in store when the tournament tees off tomorrow.
“Bigger names like former winner Iddi Madina of Tanzania arrive tomorrow (read today) and Eva Magala will still be in the mix. She is also hungry for her first title. There is also a contingent from Kenya that we expect to make it here. It is going to be exciting.”

Storming start
Madina fell short from winning her second title a couple of years ago and she will storm to the tee-box No.1 of the challenging par-72 Entebbe Golf Course itching to exorcise some of last year’s demons.
Nile Special/Uganda Sports Press Association(Uspa) Female Golfer of the Year 2017 Martha Babirye is lowly-rated but she will be a potential banana-skin looking to throw a spanner in the works of the rated stars at the 36-hole strokeplay event.

PAST CHAMPIONS - ENTEBBE LADIES OPEN
2011: Jasper Kamukama (Uganda)
2012: Flavia Namukula (Uganda)
2013: Iddi Madina (Tanzania)
2014: Monica Ntege (Uganda)
2015: Irene Nakalembe (Uganda)
2016: Irene Nakalembe (Uganda)
2017: Irene Nakalembe (Uganda)
2018: ???