Nsubuga revels in wire-to-wire Open win

There were still some questions on whether Godfrey Nsubuga would maximize on his opening stellar round of seven-under 65 to win the 82nd Johnnie Walker Uganda Amateurs Golf Open title at the Uganda Golf Club (UGC) in Kitante.

And yes, even after a resilient fight from the rest of pack led by Ibrahim Bagalana, Nsubuga powered to a wire-to-wire script thereby sealing his triumph with a final round of three-under 69 to win the Open with a championship record aggregate score of 13-under 275 gross after 72 holes on Saturday.

“Personally in the first place, I would like to thank God who has enabled me. If it wasn’t his will, I wouldn’t have done it,” he said in a long chat after receiving trophy in front of quite a sizable crowd at the 18th green.

Comprising 21 birdies, one eagle and 10 bogeys, Nsubuga had produced the first wire-to-wire Open triumph since Ronald Otile won his first title at the same course in 2015.

His performance was too good to make Bagalana’s aggregate nine-under 279 gross settle for second place, which would win the Open on any of the last 15 editions or more.

The Lugazi-bred Nsubuga had grown his lead to six shots after shooting 69 on Day Two but level-par 72 and Bagalana’s 69 Day Three on Friday meant it came down to a four-shot gap teeing off in the pressure group on Saturday.

At the 81st Open played in Kigo last year, Nsubuga played in the final day pressure group only finish fourth, much to his disappointment.

This time, Nsubuga switched from Lugazi and based at UGC, the new club and Uganda Golf Union helping him to move to South Africa for furnishing and then playing 14 events on the Kenya Amateur Stroke-play Championship circuit, winning one and finishing second in seven legs.

“Personally, this has not been a four-day preparation. It’s been a long-term preparation. I joined UGC as a member this year with a target of the Open and I have often been practising here and it became my home. That advantage has helped me to up my game,” he explained.

Nsubuga’s beginnings in golf are familiar. As a child, he used to use jelly tins and tree branches with shapes of golf clubs to swing near the Mehta Golf Club in Lugazi.

The Mehta family would then grant him free membership and in 2014, he caddied for his future coach Ronnie ‘King’ Bukenya at the Open before breaking through in 2016 and then joining the national team three years.

And now, the US-bound lad delivered some classic golf, akin to PGA Tour material. This surely was Nsubuga’s week and his colleagues in the pressure group Bagalana, 2021 winner Joseph Cwinyaai and 2022 runner-up Michael Tumusiime knew it would was going to be tough to usurp him.

With a birdie on the par-5 Hole No.3, Nsubuga had his lead over Bagalana move to six shots but the latter took off a stroke with a birdie on the par-4 seventh green. Nsubuga then squandered his birdie on the descending par-5 Hole No.8 with a bogey on the next short par-3 Hole No.9.

Bagalana’s bogeys on par-4s Holes No.10 and No.12 as well as Nsubuga’s bogey on the par-3 No.11 meant the gap was back to six strokes with six holes to go.

Bagalana put on a superb closing show birdies on Holes No.13, No.16 and one of 43ft distance on No.18 to add to sorry birdie-putt misses on Holes No.14, No.15 and No.17 but, Nsubuga was surely home with his own birdies on No.15 and No.16.

“I knew it was over when we teed-off on No.18 but I told the group that I had to finish with a show,” a pretty happy Bagalana said. The duo of Bagalana and Cwinyaai were part of Nsubuga’s celebrations. Brotherhood!

82ND JOHNNIE WALKER UGANDA AMATEUR GOLF OPEN

FINAL LEADERBOARD

1 Godfrey Nsubuga (UGA)    65 69 72 69 275 -13

2 Ibrahim Bagalana (UGA)    70 70 69 70 279 -9

3 Joseph Cwinyaai (UGA)      73 71 68 72 284 -4

4 Michael Tumusiime (UGA) 74 72 73 77 296 + 8

5 Joseph Kasozi (UGA)          74 78 71 77 300 +12

T6 Denis Kabarira (UGA)      76 78 74 74 302 +14

T6 Morris Ashaba (UGA)       74 79 73 76 302 +14

T8 Gilbert Asiimwe (UGA)    82 76 69 76 303 + 15

T8 Peter Tumusiime (UGA)    72 77 77 77 303 +15

T10 Ally Isanzu (TAZ)           74 82 74 75 305 +17

T10 Hassan Kiyemba (UGA)             77 76 76 76 305 +17

T10 Joseph Kanolera (UGA) 72 76 76 81 305 +17

CAST OF UGANDA AMATEUR OPEN WINNERS
2023: Godfrey Nsubuga (UGA)
2022: Andrew Ssekibejja (UGA)
2021: Joseph Cwinyaai (UGA)
2020: John Lejirma (KEN)
2019: Daniel Nduva (KEN)
2018: Ronald Otile (UGA)
2017: Ronald Rugumayo (UGA)
2016: Ronald Otile (UGA)
2015: Ronald Otile (UGA)
2014: Willy Deus Kitata (UGA)
2013: Peter Ssendawula (UGA)
2012: Phillip Kasozi (UGA)
2011: Rogers Byaruhanga (UGA)
2010: Brian Mwesigwa (UGA)
2009: Peter Ssendawula (UGA)
2008: George Olayo (UGA)
2007: Nicholas Rokoine (KEN)
2006: Amos Kamya (UGA)
2005: Charles Yokwe (UGA)