When golfers warmed up cold Entebbe

There is a general consensus that golf in the country changed tide and took a step up during renowned lawyer Kiryowa ‘K.K’ Kiwanuka’s two-year reign as Uganda Golf Union (UGU) president from 2014 to 2016.
 Under K.K, the national golf teams amassed plenty of success with lots of sweet memories.
 One stand-out victory came when hosts Uganda ended Kenya’s dominance to win the East Africa Challenge Trophy at Entebbe Club in September, 2014.

 Uganda garnered a total 18.5 points after four days of action at the par-71 course to beat five other nations to the title. Neighbours Kenya finished with 17.5 points.
 That triumph was masterminded by then coach Amos Kamya. Kamya had earlier supervised a three-week camp for the team, which proved pivotal.

 “First of all, I give credit to the players,” said Kamya after they toasted to delight on September 30, 2014. Uganda had powered to a strong finish to edge Kenya by a point overall on the final day. 
“They fought hard and worked together. The players were always motivated. Each day, they backed up each other and the results are overwhelming,” the South Africa-trained coach Kamya stated.
 Captain Phillip Kasozi and company had struggled to impress the home gallery on Day One at the lakeside course.

Foursomes troubles
 Three-peat champions Kenya had begun strongly in the singles by collecting 6.5 points. But the hosts worked to get 5.5 points including then teenager Ronald Otile beating Tanzanian Adam Abasi 5/4 (5-up with four holes to spare).
 Ronald Bukenya too beat Burundian Toyi Saidi 2-up on the par-5 Hole No.18, Ronald Rugumayo also beat Tanzanian Victor Joseph with the same score.
 But Robert Oluba had surrendered to Kenyan John Karichu 1-up on the final hole, captain Kasozi had too been unlucky with a 5/4 loss to Ethiopian Binyam Gebreselasse. However, Peter Ssendawula managed to square with Kenya’s captain Nelson Simwa.

 On Day Two, Uganda topped the foursomes with 3.5 points to level overall with Kenya who had managed 2.5 points.
Here, the Tooro-bred pair of Otile and Rugumayo squared with Kenya’s Karichu and Tony Omuli.
Captain Kasozi in combo with Oluba reacted to beat Leonard Nkurunziza and Joseph Barame 6/5 on Hole No.13.
Robert Happy and Ssendawula were not happy after John Leonce and Joseph defeated them 4/3.

 But in the four-ball better-ball contests on Day Three, Oluba and Kasozi suffered a painful 2/1 loss to Omuli and Karichu on par-4 Hole No.17. But Otile and Rugumayo maintained their class, this time beating Barame and James Ndikumana 5/4. The day would end with Happy not any happier, this time losing 5/4 to Abasi and John Saidi.
Uganda and Kenya each scored three points, tied 13 points overall, heading into the final day.  Now Day Four had the players back for the singles and this time, Kamya had to monitor his brigade, sometimes directing the gallery to particular players who had struggled prior.

 And it paid off. Uganda amassed 6.5 points, one more than Kenya on the day to emerge champions.
 The players battled through a heavy downpour which inevitably affected the size of the gallery. Regardless, the gods were on Uganda’s side.
 Only two-time Uganda Open champion Ssendawula conceded defeat to Simwa (3/2). 
But the boys who donned yellow fought back.  Uganda avenged with Adolf Muhumuza defeating Kenya’s star Karichu 2-up on the last hole.

Super shifts 
Then Oluba, nicknamed ‘Pablo Escobar’, upped the ante to floor Tanzania’s top seed Nuru Mollel 3/2 and Otile continued to show his early glimpses of class by coming from 3-down to savour a delightful half-point off Victor.
 Debutant Henry Lujja offered Burundian Hassan Nshirimana no breathing space, winning 8/7 on Hole No.11. A fourth title for Uganda in 13 years and a third for Kamya were in sight.
 Similarly, Bukenya stopped Ndikumana at Hole No.12 after scoring 7/6. Happy finally smiled after humbling Ethiopian Michael Aberon 6/5 while Kasozi put the icing on the cake with a hard-fought 2-up win over another Ethiopian Hagos Mulu.
 “As you can see, everyone here is happy,” said Kasozi after lifting the trophy. “We made our country proud and fought hard on the final day. This is my third year in a row as captain and the faith players had in me has paid off,” he added.

 The palpable emotion had UGU president Kiwanuka deliver his promise to the winning side - a handshake with President Yoweri Museveni at State House Nakasero.
 The success in Entebbe set Uganda on course to win the next four of five editions - the tournament now called the Africa Region IV Golf Championship.

 But the happenings of six years ago got the fraternity charged, thrilled and it perhaps didn’t know that this would set-off more achievements at the continental front. That winning group has since moved on to the professional ranks while Otile would rise to win three Uganda Open titles in 2015, 2016 and 2018. 
He is currently based in California, not far from Kamya who also moved to Massachusetts, USA.