Kabasweka, Nyachama share lead as the Entebbe Ladies Open starts

Uganda’s Peace Kabasweka carded an opening round 4-over 75 to tie with Kenyan Mercy Nyachama as the 15th edition of the MTN Entebbe Ladies Open got underway at the Entebbe Club yesterday.

Both players notched one birdie and five bogeys each to tie for the lead going into the second round of the World Golf Ranking, 54-hole tournament, which has a prize purse of sh10m.

Two-time and defending champion Kabasweka got her only birdie of the day on the par-3 hole 16, while the Kenyan, who won last year’s Uganda Ladies Open in Lugazi in the absence of Kabasweka, got hers on the par-3 12, with both players promising to do better in today's round.

Kabasweka scored pars on the opening three holes before bogeying the par-4 hole 4. Two more bogeys on holes 7 and 8 meant she was 3-over at the turn. Five consecutive pars in the opening five holes on the back were followed by a bogey on 15 before her only birdie on 16 and another bogey on 17 before par on 18.

Peace Kabasweka and Mercy Nyachama pose after their opening rounds at Entebbe Club, February 26, 2026. Photo by Michaell Nsubuga

“I’m happy to return to defend the title, but the course played tough today, the greens were fast and very different from the practice greens and yet I struggled with my driving and putting, but I think I can improve,” Kabasweka said.

“I had so many ups and downs in my game but i’m happy i finished with 75. Im ready to attack the course because this was like a practice round. But the par 5s were problematic for me today,” Kabasweka said. Not even the news that filtered through of the death of her mum back in Kenya moments before play started could deter Nyanchama from competing favourably. She started with par on hole-1 before bogeys on holes 2, 3, 5 and 8 slowed her down. But she enjoyed an almost bogey-free back but one on 17 as she guns for her first title in Entebbe.

“The course was playing well. I started with +4 on the front and played level on the back, and I hope to continue improving in the subsequent rounds,” Nyachama, who plays off handicap -1.4, said.

“The greens are a bit slow for me because I'm used to faster greens back home in Nairobi. But after the bad news came in, I decided to continue with the game because I was already here, and I needed to improve my world ranking points,” Nyachama stated.

Lillian Koowe, Martha Babirye and Tanzanian Neema Oloomi are tied for second after they each played 5-over 76.

Kabasweka, the national ladies' team captain enjoyed strong performances last year, dominating in almost all local events en route to defending the 50th Nigeria Ikoyi Ladies Open in Nigeria last November. She remains the best-ranked female player in the World Amateur Golf Rankings at 341st, having won seven events last year, and in the field of 32 who are competing for this year’s championship. She is gunning for her third Entebbe Ladies Open title and the sh2.4m top prize.

Round 1: Top ten

Peace Kabasweka 75

Mercy Nyachama 75

Lillian Koowe 76

Martha Babirye 76

Neema Olomi 76

Winnie Musuya 81

Judith Komugisha 81

Loveness Frank 81

Joyce Kisembo 82

Robinah Angom 83