Muhumuza, Bukenya lead national golf qualifiers

By Michael Nsubuga

National Team Qualifiers

Ronnie Bukenya 70

Adolf Muhumuza 70

Robert Oluba 74

Jonathan Musinguzi 74

Ronald Rugumayo 75

Willy Kitatta 76

Becca Mwanja 78

Andrew Byaruhanga 78

Daniel Baguma 78

Richard Baguma 78

Patrick Mwaka 78 

ADOLF Muhumuza and Ronnie Bukenya returned 70 gross each to share joint leadership of day-one of the national team qualifiers at Kitante on Tuesday.

But it was Lugazi’s Golf Club’s Bukenya who played slightly better registering 7 birdies to Muhumuza’s five in the three-day qualifiers.

Having been part of the national team since 2010 Muhumuza believes he will once again make it to the team.

“I’m confident of my game and my plan is to qualify because the new president has promised us good conditions for those who make it to the team.

“Of course Entebbe is challenging with its semi-roughs and fairways a bit tricky but the course is similar to this one (Kitante), but at this stage we are ready to play in all conditions,” Muhumuza said.

Joint leader, Bukenya, from Lugazi who was part of the 2011-2012 national team that competed in the East African Challenge in Arusha and Burundi is also confident of making it back to the team.

“I think we are going to play in similar conditions so I will tackle the course as I find it, though I expect faster greens because of the dry conditions,” Bukenya stated.

Fifty one golfers from all over the country are in contention for the top twenty slots. Today they play 36 holes at Entebbe club before returning to Kitante for the final leg of the qualifiers on Thursday.

The top thirty golfers will play the final leg, with the top twenty forming the base of the national team.

The team will immediately start preparations for the zone six and Africa junior championship due in Zambia and South Africa in April.

The newly UGU executive led by Kiryowa Kiwanuka promised to prioritize the national team activities starting with this qualifier, with emphasis on organization, discipline and the welfare of the team.

"We want to keep a big field of about 20 golfers this time on the national team and that for us is going to be our biggest challenge because we must maintain these players, keep them in top form through-out the year. We have the zone six coming in April and then the junior championship in Cape Town and Zambia. These two events are close and therefore the moment they get out of the qualifiers they are going straight into regiment training," Kiwanuka earlier said. 

"I want them to earn respect, because of the organization, discipline and the good golf they will be playing. We want the national team players to grow knowing they have a duty to perform with the national team," Kiryowa hinted.