Teenage golf sensation Nsubuga stays calm after ‘Real’ recognition 

 Uganda’s teenage golfing sensation Godfrey Nsubuga will resist pressure to turn professional after impressive wins that saw him emerge the January Fortebet Real Stars monthly awards held at Route 256 Restaurant in Kampala yesterday.
The other winner was two-goal hero at the on-going Championship of African Nations (Chan), Saidi Kyeyune. The Uganda Cranes midfielder missed the event to complete a move to Sudanese giants Al Merreikh.

The 17-year-old, already a member of the national team, beat teammate Eyoyo and Entebbe Club’s Elton Thembo to receive a plaque and cash reward. Nsubuga’s form at the 2021 Entebbe Juniors Open which he won with a 1-over par 73 gross score, saw him come three strokes better of Thembo and four strokes ahead of Eyoyo.

But he believes he had no intention of cashing in on his growing profile and was content to remain an amateur for the time being.  “I am still putting my efforts on completing school,” Nsubuga, a Senior Six student, said.
Nsubuga has won one major tournament in golf, the Tororo Open in 2019 and two junior tournaments including Regional Four Championship in Burundi and the Victoria Cup in Uganda where Uganda emerged winners.
He has been a member of the national team for two years since his debut in 2019 but he says he still has much to learn.

 Golfing journey
Starting as a caddie, Nsubuga’s major challenge has been equipment. He has not had personal equipment most times borrowing from team members. But since Mehta Golf Club started sponsoring him with a free golf course and tournaments, he now uses the club equipment.
His admiration started with Ronald Bukenya, his current club coach, to whom he was a caddie until 2014. 
Thereafter, he started playing in junior tournaments with his first official appearance in Jinja emerging top of Group C category.

Nsubuga, whose aspiration is to join a University in the United States of America that can support his golfing ambitions, wants to follow in the footsteps of Edrine Okong and former national team captain Joel Basalaine, who have played for the club before earning scholarships to the US.

Matsiko’s guidance
“That keeps me motivated and I want to keep doing my best,” the Senior Six student of Homeland College Lugazi, says. His mother, Peruth Ndagire, who works with the sugar company is the main reason Nsubuga plays golf, supporting and praying for his son.

The golf union president, Moses Matsiko is his manager.
 Nsubuga hopes Matisko’s guidance will be of great help in future.
His dream is to play in the PGA golf tournaments although the next activity on his plate is the World Cup Championships in Japan whose African qualifiers will be held in Egypt. The tournament was rescheduled from March last year.

QUICK PROFILE 
Full name: Godfrey Dunstan Nsubuga
Club: Mehta Golf Club
Date of Birth: August 29, 2005
Place: Lugazi
Parents: Peruth Ndagire and Herbert Ssendagala
School: Homeland College, Lugazi
Class: Senior Six
Role model: Tiger Woods