Otile, Odonkonyero notch Eskom Jinja Open crowns
Otile relives his golf rounds at the podium soon after being crown 2014 Eskom Jinja Open winner. Hon Byabagambi (3rd L) and Eskom’s Mngeni (4th R) were all ears on July 12. PHOTO BY EAPPA IMAGES
What you need to know:
Golf. In the professionals category, homeboy Ian Odokonyero shot 140 over two days to leave 17 other pros in his wake in the Shs6m category. His closest challengers were Deo Akope and Fred Wanzala
JINJA.
Ronald Otile is a freewill spirit. The Fort-Portal based national team teenager worked his socks off to edge Jinja-bred Abbey Bagalana in a sudden-death playoff to win the heavily-attended seventh edition of the Shs100m Eskom Open over the weekend. After receiving his diadem, brand-new professional golf kit and one-year sponsorship worth Shs15.8m from Eskom, Otile, a man whose renown for a clinical short game, made a par-6 of a speech.
But it was all justified for the young man who plays a fearless brand of golf. “No one was going to stop me,” said the 18-year-old handicap plus two golfer.
“Even if the defending champion Willy Kitata was here, he wouldn’t have survived my wrath. I was determined to win. Hard luck to Abbey, who succumbed to pressure in the playoff.” With his last win coming at the 2012 Mukwano Open, Otile, who was flanked by his Tooro comrades, Eskom MD Nokwanda Mngeni and chief guest Hon John Byabagambi, hustled Bagalana hole by hole before both ended with a similar aggregate of 147 gross after 36 holes which saw the former snatch it in sudden death.
A record number of 246 golfers took part and golf president Kiryowa Kiwanuka helped fundraise for the course expansion.
