Mucunguzi/Kirarira win Season-7 of the Singleton Golf Challenge

Richard Mucunguzi/Saidi Kirarira beat Joseph Bogera/Kenneth Kiddu 3&2 (by three holes with two to go) to win Season 7 of the Singleton Golf Match-Play Challenge at the first time of asking at Entebbe Club on Saturday.

Playing in the championship for the first time, the winning pair defied the odds to easily beat their much-fancied opponents, to win a pair of air tickets to Dubai courtesy of Uganda Airlines, on top of other goodies from DStv for business and CFAO Motors.

The winning pair showed their intentions early by leading 5 up after the first nine holes and squared the tenth hole before Bogera/Kiddu took the 12th after Kilarira lost his ball in the cassava plantation nearby. It was the same story on the 13th which they easily conceded after Kirarira’s second shot went out of bounds with Mucunguzi’s failing to find the green.

Bogera/Kiddu then took the 14th hole despite Bogera developing a muscle pull in his right leg before teeing off to the hole. That was the end of Bogera’s fight-back as he missed a birdie putt on the 15th which they squared before the champions sealed it on the 16th with a par, after Kiddu, whose first shot landed on the apron missed par.

Entebbe Club chairman Jacob Byamukama (left) and the Sponsors representatives Board Chairman UBL Jimmy Mugerwa (left), DStv for Business Henry Muwaga (2nd right) and Uganda Airlines Shakila Rahim (right) pose with the top four teams after the Sigleton Golf Challenge at Entebbe Club, December 2, 2023. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

“This has been a very exciting tournament and a big moment for me and my partner. This was the very first time for us to engage in the Singleton, one the biggest and most exciting golf tournaments in the country,” Mucunguzi said.

“After the gruesome experience of knockout that we went through, we are very excited and happy to have won this championship at the first time of asking.

“Reaching the semis was already a big thing for us and we were comfortable, so winning it is just a bonus for us and we are very happy. Our opponents were not very easy but we put up a wonderful show and we managed to beat them,” Mucunguzi stated.

He said the final match was easy compared to their quarter-final match against Anne Abeja/William Esuma which ended after a sudden-death play-off on hole-1.

“The defining round for us was the semifinals because it is the one that shot us in the final but we have played this tournament without any pressure throughout.

“And despite losing three consecutive holes, we remained calm because we knew we had our comfortable lead and knew we had a few magical holes ahead because we won all our earliest rounds on hole-16,” Mucunguzi, a veteran doctor who only started the game in 2018 said.

“I have not played this game for long but we have invested a bit of time and this is how we have been able to make it; We have played together, we understand each other and despite the challenging tournament we came top,”

Kirarira praised his team’s chemistry which he said was key in aiding them to the victory.

“I must say it’s a challenging tournament and we have pushed ourselves all through. But it is an exciting tournament where you come without knowing what is going to happen. Pressure mounts from the gallery supporting your opponent.

“Then like today there was also an issue of the hole-in-one car but we had to stay composed without thinking about that. The team chemistry was also at its best as we have played together since 2020,” Kirarira said.

“I must say he has been very patient with me and I have learnt most of my golf from him, so we have played together for about two and half years now at Serena Kigo and in Entebbe. So we understand each other’s game. That is why it was easy for us to coordinate on the course,” Kirarira, a lawyer by profession and a partner with Spatium Advocates, stated.

The runners-up team of Bogera/Kiddu won a pair of Air tickets to Mombasa while Serwano Walusimbi/Peter Magona who finished third will fly to Mombasa.

The tournament was co-sponsored by CFAO Motors, NCBA Bank, DStv for Business, AfriSafe, and Uganda Airlines.

Overall winners match-play

Richard Mucunguzi/Saidi Kirarira

Runners up

Joseph Bogera/Kiddu Kenneth

Third Place

Peter Magona/Serwano Walusimbi

Fourth Place

Micheal Odur/Brian Manyindo

Other awards

Most consistent player

Samson Akankiza

Player of the Season

Paul Habyarimana

Team of the season

Richard Mucunguzi/Saidi Kirarira

Subsidiary results

Group A

Shaban Ram 37pts

Robbins Mwehaire 34

Group B

Brian Omeda 41

Lino Anguzu 39c/b

Group C

Jonathan Bakwega 41c/b

Stephen Magero 41

Group D

Mathias Kalule 32

Enock Baraka 31c/b

Ladies Group A

Patricia Mbabazi 39

Rukia Nalwoga 34

Group B

Nice Janda 35

Hasifa Kalungi 32

Seniors

Russel Knight 34

Longest drive

Jude Ochieng

Hasifah Kalungi