Bazaale eliminates Cwinyaai from the Presidents Cup golf tournament

Entebbe golfer Samuel Bazaale eliminated pre-tournament favourite Joseph Cwinyaai in the round of 16 at the President’s Cup on Friday at Entebbe Club.

 Bazaale stunned Uganda’s number one amateur golfer and the defending champion Cwinyaai with a 4&3 (by four holes with three left) in the match-play round of 16, causing the biggest upset of the tournament.

Cwinyaai had led the opening stroke-play round with a one-under 70, tied with Joseph Akena, but Bazaale, who just survived the cut with an 8-over 79, was unfazed in the match-play round. 

Samuel Bazaale knocked out Joseph Cwinyaa from the President's Cup. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

“I had a terrible round yesterday, but today I played regulation golf, and I was putting very well, which made the difference. There is no way you can beat such a player without good putting,” Bazaale said.

Bazaale opened with a birdie on the par-5 hole 1 before Cwinyaai took hole two, the only hole he won in the round. They halved the third hole before Bazaale won the fourth and sixth to go 2-up before the turn. After squaring 7 holes in a row, Bazaale broke away after he took holes 14 and 15 to wrap up the match.

The other shocking result of the round was the match between national team player Joseph Kasozi and Edgar Muzahura, which the latter won after the third hole of a sudden-death play-off after they had tied after 18 holes. Both players won six games each, squaring six before the playoff.

Bazaale continued with his perfect run in the afternoon quarter finals by eliminating Lawrence Walakira with a 5&4 score to storm the semis. In the other round of 16 games, Joseph Akena beat Ivan Ssekulima 2&1 before seeing off Abdullah Kakooza 5&3 in the quarters. 

Edgar Muzahura registered one of the shocks of the tournament. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

Amon Bwambale eliminated Yasin Boyi with a 3&2 score, while Godfrey Kambale and Kakooza eliminated Elton Thembo and Titus Okwong with 5&3 and 5&4 scores, respectively.

Juma Abiti eliminated Brian Mande with a 2&1 score, while Lawrence Walakira beat Ibrahim Bagalana 1UP. But it is only Bwambale, Kambale, and Akena who joined Bazaale in the semis after eliminating Juma Abiti, Edgar Muzahura, and Abdallah Kakooza.

The event's format features an opening stroke-play round for all, with the top 16 golfers competing in a match-play round of 16 on the same day. The semi-finals and finals will be played on Saturday alongside the subsidiary event.

The same format applies even in the ladies’ category, where Peace Kabasweka eliminated Winnie Musuya in the semis (4&3) while Meron Kyomugisha edged Lilian Koowe, 1UP, to storm the final. 

Kabasweka had a walkover past Gloria Mbaguta in the quarters, while Kyomugisha, Koowe, and Musuya beat Resty Nalutaaya, Joyce Kisembo, and Harriet Kitaka with scores of 4&3, 2&1, and the first play-off hole, respectively.