Dr Sekajugo triumphs at Seniors Open

When Dr James Sekajugo emerged as winner of the August Monthly Mug event at the Uganda Golf Club (UGC), he promised he would be back at the podium.

It may have taken a little while but Sekajugo on Saturday night was crowned as the overall winner of the annual Uganda Seniors Golf Open championship at UGC presented by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Playing off handicap 22, Sekajugo hang onto a birdie-less round to win with a score of 72 nett in a field of about 100 players at the par-72 course.

“I told you that I am still around,” he repeated his words of three months ago, later in a chat with this paper.

But prior, the former Uganda Cranes’ team doctor played cool after he had been accompanied to the podium by Londonbeat’s I’ve been thinking about you song.

“I am really excited that I have won this trophy,” he began, “I’ve not won because I have played better than all of you but I think you’ve all played worse than I did. So I thank you for having made me win.”

Sekajugo later insisted on his word selection for the short acceptance speech. “I was just being polite. In victory, you don’t glow. I was just being nice,” stated the man who has worked with continental soccer body Caf, global body Fifa and the International Olympic Committee.

“I handed in the card not knowing that I was going to win. I kept encouraging the people I played that many others had suffered (on the course),” Sekajugo said of his round that had no birdie and a few pars to smile about.

“And I had to encourage them that they should play better next time but I guarantee that I will also play better so the result may still be the same,” he added.

Together with ladies’ winner Esther Okullo, they both each won two nights for two at Trackers Safari Park in Bwindi while gross winners David Plenderleith and Monica Ntege each secured air tickets courtesy of Uganda Airlines to any of its destinations.

UGANDA SENIORS GOLF OPEN BY UCAA

OVERALL WINNERS

M: Dr James Sekajugo 72 nett

L: Esther Okullo 74 nett

GROSS WINNERS

M: David Plenderleith 80 gross

L: Monica Ntege 85 gross

SENIORS CATEGORIES

GOLD (70+ YEARS)

Ambrose Akandonda 73 nett

SILVER (65-69 YEARS)

Paddy Muramira 78 nett (c/b)

BRONZE (55-64 YEARS)

Zephania Dube 74 nett (c/b)

LADIES

Gertrude Kityo 76 nett

GUEST WINNER

Aaron Mugomola 75 nett

LONGEST DRIVE

M: John Katto

L: Grace Kabonero

NEAREST TO THE PIN

M: Ahn Jeung Bong

L: Katy Kabenge

UGANDA SENIORS GOLF OPEN - CAST OF WINNERS

2022: James Sekajugo & Esther Okullo

2021: Sam Zaramaba & Monica Ntege