Kitamirike, Kabunga Clinch Stanbic Entebbe Golf Title

The second edition of the Stanbic Entebbe Match-Play Golf Challenge crowned new champions as Steven Kitamirike and Charles Kabunga defeated Picole Lukyamuzi and Henry Nsubuga by a score of 3&1 (winning by three holes with one hole left to play) in the final held at Entebbe Club on Saturday.

The final was tense and difficult to predict. Kitamirike and Kabunga initially took a commanding 3-hole lead, but this was narrowed to just one hole by the tenth hole. The young duo of Lukyamuzi and Nsubuga managed to level the match on the twelfth hole. From that point forward, both teams fought hard to maintain their positions in this “parents versus children” showdown. Lukyamuzi had been a pageboy at Kabunga’s wedding in 1990, highlighting the familial connection between the players. This relationship added an extra layer of intensity to the match, as neither side wanted to be on the losing side.

But the elders took charge after the 15th hole when both Lukyamuzi and Nsubuga fumbled with a double bogey and par, respectively, on the par-5 hole, where the victors regained their lead before extending it on the par-3 hole 16 and before they sealed the victory on the 17th.

The overall winners of the Stanbic Entebbe Match-Play Challenge Charles Kabunga (right) and Steven Kitamirike (center) receive the overall winners trophies from Stanbic MD Mumba Kalifungwa after they were crowned champions at Entebbe Club, August 2, 2025. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

“We call ourselves ‘Team No Stress.’ This is our first partnership, and we agreed to just enjoy our golf, which is exactly what we’ve done throughout—no pressure, only enjoyment,” Kabunga said.

“We respect all the opponents we have faced along the way, especially the finalists, who really gave us a run for our money. Interestingly, one of them, Lukyamuzi, was my pageboy. So, it turned into a clash between parents and their children, but we hold them in high regard and enjoyed their company,” Kabunga stated. He mentioned that they had a mix of easy and challenging games throughout the tournament but emphasized that they weren’t stressing; they were simply enjoying the game.

“We are retired but not tired, so we came to have fun and emerged as champions,” Kabunga added. “Competing head-to-head with these young men makes you feel young again, and it inspires you to match their level of play. They truly provided us with a good game,” he remarked.

His partner, Steven Kitamirike, was equally delighted, sharing that he has always enjoyed playing golf at Entebbe Club and considers engaging in the sport one of his greatest achievements. “This is a sweet victory, and we thank our families for their support. We faced tough opponents; we were 3 up at one point, but they made a comeback and leveled the game after the first nine holes. Our performance came alive in the final holes, which is how we secured the win. They were simply unfortunate, but they are skilled golfers. When they both ended up in the bunker on hole 15, I knew they would have trouble recovering,” Kitamirike noted.

Charles Kabunga (left) is congratulated by his 'pageboy' Picole Lukyamuzi after the finals of the Stanbic Entebbe Match Play final at the Entebbe Club course. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

Nsubuga blamed their loss on the early struggles in the match but was grateful for having made the final. 

“The old men have taken us to school, and we lost honourably. They really played so well. It was a bit challenging on the front nine, where we struggled on a couple of holes. We went three down, and it is always hard to come back in such situations, but we composed ourselves until we leveled the score up to hole 15, where we got a disservice with the bunkers,” Lukyamuzi noted.

“This was our toughest tournament. Initially we played teams that were giving us strokes and in the final, we were the ones giving away strokes and we did that on seven holes, but they were more composed.”

“But I’m happy for them because they gave it their all. I’m also happy for my partner because he also fought very well.”

“I was a bit nervous on the front nine, and my tee shots were off, but we composed ourselves, but we failed to recover from our slump on hole 15, and the pressure was mounting,” Lukyamuzi stated.

“We will give it another shot next year, having made it to the final.

The winners will consequently enjoy an all-expense-paid trip to watch the DP World Tour Grand Finale in Dubai in November, while the runners-up won themselves air tickets to Johannesburg courtesy of Uganda Airlines.

In the third-place play-off, John Basabose/Kin Kariisa beat Ellis Katwebaze/Evelyn Atukunda 4&3 and will enjoy a trip to Mombasa courtesy of Uganda Airlines.

The match-play heroics of the season went to Steven Kitamirike, who single-handedly eliminated the pair of Richard Mugisha and Louis Tumukunde with a 7&6 score when his partner was away.

The Elly Mukasa/Kiryowa Kiwanuka versus Ellis Katwebaze/Evelyn Atukunda quarterfinalduel was selected as the Matchplay challenge game of the season, while Berna Musanabera claimed the subsidiary player of the season award, and Casper Tevin Okiru and Ronald Osekeny were the best dressed during the 7-month tournament.