Honours even as TML picks to Pattaya secure six tickets

Fitting Finale. The sponsors share podium with the winners of the inaugural TML series at Kitante. PHOTO BY EDDIE CHICCO

What you need to know:

  • Full House. Over 1000 golfers took part in the exciting series at six courses in 18 weeks.

KAMPALA. When Tusker Malt Lager (TML) embarked on this just concluded inaugural series, they didn’t envisage that they would leave an indelible mark on the golfing fraternity and would earn as much mileage as they have throughout the 18 golfing weeks.

But the grand finale hosted by Uganda Golf Club (UGC) Kitante at the weekend couldn’t have been better for the full house that honoured it despite the rains that got the day underway during players’ tee-offs and once again threatened to spoil the awards ceremony - albeit in a drizzle mode.

UBL’s Marketing Director Juliana Kaggwa took the light side of the heavens’ opening at particular intervals of the day as a blessing – as is the norm in African tradition – during the merrymaking-filled closing ceremony during which honours were fittingly shared evenly.
Three men and three women, six in total, will make the all-expenses six-day trip to the exquisite Pattaya Golfing Resort in Thailand.

Paul Ndyaguma (237 points) and Peace Kabasweka (196) earned the rewards of consistency having been at the helm of their respective male and female ‘Race To Pattaya’ logs since October last year.
“I have got to thank the Lord,” said soft-spoken Ndyaguma after being crowned male champion, “I didn’t know I would be here at the podium in the end. It has been a lot of sacrifice playing at every event and putting in a good performance all the time.”

Then the male pair of Geoffrey Owach and Collins Bwafu saved the best for last with a climaxing round of 51 points that saw them edge fellow Pattaya ticket winners; Dorothy Nabirye and Sharon Kawanyi, who also tallied 51 points, but were only edged on count-back.
“Last year, we gave ourselves a challenge to ensure the game traverses the whole country,” said UBL’s Managing Director Mark Ocitti Ongom of the event that was played in Fort Portal, Mbarara, Jinja, Palm Valley Akright Kakungulu, Serena Kigo and UGC Kitante.

“We would like to do more next year and have more than 1,000 golfers take part. For us it has been a very fruitful and long journey that we would like it to grow with our partners.”
The other partners included; Ethiopian Airlines, Shell Uganda, CBA Uganda, Pepsi Uganda, Lets Go Travel, Serena Hotels, MTN and Kenya Ports Authority.