Tale of four golfing weeks at Serena Kigo

Kampala- For a moment, many didn’t want the four-in-one Castle Lite Uganda Golf Open to climax as there were plenty of thrills and spills when the Lake Victoria Serena Resort & Spa hosted the country’s premier tournament for the first time.
The golf fraternity graced the Kigo course over a four-week period, hosting more than 500 players in the juniors, ladies, amateurs and professionals.
The venue had never been busy with golf and many will attest to the serenity and class Kigo offered from September 26 - September 14.
Increased foreign participants
The unique aura provided by the Kigo course attracted a number of foreign players with a pile featuring across all platforms.
The 69th Ladies Open got its biggest international participants; graced by a trio of Nigerians, 13 Kenyans, Zimbabwean Loice Chingona and Tanzanians; three-time winner Angel Eaton, Iddi Madina and Ayne Magombe.

The 78th Amateur Open didn’t disappoint either with nationalities from Kenya, Tanzania, Sweden, USA and South Africa taking part.
The 14th Professionals Open doesn’t need much explanation as Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Senegal, South Africa, France and Portugal all attempted to battle for $50000 (Shs183m) purse.
Babirye saves Uganda’s blushes
The more the doors were open to foreigners to play the Open, the tougher it became for the locals to thrive.
For the first time since Kenyan Nicholas Rokoine in 2007, a non-Ugandan emerged as champion in the Amateurs Open with Daniel Nduva leading a rare Kenyan 1-2-3 atop the leaderboard.
And as long as the Ugandan men in paid ranks remain devoid of tournaments, they will always be in the shadow of foreigners at their own Open.
Only two Ugandans have won the Professionals Open since it’s inception in 2006 and the bizarre story continued with Zambian Muthiya Madalisto picking his second title here.
It is Martha Babirye who saved the country’s blushes by winning the Ladies Open for the first time, improving her 2018 show by a place, after pipping Eaton and Irene Nakalembe. Had it not rained heavily, Eaton could have altered the script on August 31.
From 80s’ to course records
The ladies’ scores were far from appeasing at the par-72 course. They struggled to acclimatize with conditions after the 54 holes, only four rounds under the score of 80 had been carded.
When the amateurs came through, three-time winner and holder Ugandan Ronald Otile’s fight in recovery from an odd opening round of 82, had him fire a course of six-under 66 on Day Three only to lose his mojo again under the weight of the pressure group on the final day.
The course record was matched by Madalisto with his bogey-free Day Two round and in response, defending champion Kenyan Dismas Indiza broke the record again the following day with nine birdies for nine-under 63.
‘King’ Kasozi, one-eyed man among the blind
A fire-fighting Indiza didn’t last mile on the final day at a tournament where only three Ugandan pros made the cut.
Phillip Kasozi was the country’s best in the quest for the kitty, tying 13th with Zambian Dayne Moore, implying he has made the cut at every Open since 2015 - most consistent.

Abraham Ainamani tied 24th while Opio Onito Jr came 31st. Kasozi is king here but only a one-eyed man among the blind.
His performances are backed up by appearances at events like the Kenya Open on the PGA European Tour, Zambia Open, Zanaco Masters, Karen Masters and the Nyali Open.

The latter is part of the Safari Tour (pathway to Kenya Open) which the Uganda Open did join.
Local pros strangers at Kigo, hello eagles!
There have been only three events in the country for pros this year, meaning the flock will have to endure a financial burden and travel across borders if they are to lift their game.

At Kigo, many Ugandan pros wouldn’t afford the green fees and only a few got a thorough feel of the course, implying they too, were ‘strangers’ in their own land. Kenyans, who have fast greens akin to those in Kigo, on a number of courses in Nairobi and Mombasa, thrived.

And you love numbers? Par-5 Hole No.17 conceded 96 birdies while 21 eagles particularly Kenyan Edwin Mudanyi’s hole-in-hole using a 7-iron on par-3 No.15 in company of country-mate Jeff Kubwa and Botswanan Walter Seokemong on September 11, were spread over the four days during the Pros’ Open.

In the Amateurs’ Open, 21 eagles too were carded over four rounds with Kenyan Samuel Njoroge firing a hole-in-one on par-3 Hole No.4 with his 8-iron shot straight into the cup on September 7.

UGANDA GOLF OPEN
CAST OF TOURNAMENT HOSTS
2020: Uganda Golf Club
2019: Lake Victoria Serena Kigo
2018: Entebbe
2017: Uganda Golf Club
2016: Uganda Golf Club
2015: Uganda Golf Club

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