Otukei wins the Uganda Juniors Golf Open Championship
Otukei, currently ranked 1015th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and a beneficiary of the R&A African High Performance Training Program, recently finished 14th at the Uganda Open Amateur Championship.
Anthony Otukei in action during the Uganda Open Junior Golf Championship at Kitante, September 9, 2026. Photo by Michael Nsubuga
Lugazi Hills Golf and Country Club’s Anthony Otukei carded an overall 1-under 215 over 54 holes to win the Uganda Junior Open Golf Championship at the Uganda Golf Club on Wednesday.
The 17-year-old national team player drained 11 birdies over the three rounds, with five of them and an eagle coming in the last round to win his first Uganda Open Junior Championship, beating his compatriot Shaka Kariisa and 71 other contestants to the championship by one stroke.
Otukei, a Form 3 student at Lugazi Homeland College, opened his campaign with a 1-over-par 73, punctuated by five birdies, one double bogey, and four bogeys, two strokes better than Kariisa on Monday. But the latter produced a better second round of 72 after he birdied holes 1, 9, 13, and 14, where Otukei scored only one.
Otukei, currently ranked 1015th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and a beneficiary of the R&A African High Performance Training Program, recently finished 14th at the Uganda Open Amateur Championship.
“On the first and last days, I realised I was putting well but not playing enough fairways. In the second round, I played only one fairway on hole number 2. So, after that I noticed, and I went to the range and practised my driver, so on the last day I just played enough fairways, giving myself enough chances to make birdies,” Otukei said.
Laura Natukunda topped the girls' division at Kitante. Photo by Michael Nsubuga
His win came after three second-place finishes in the same championship. He also boasts two NCBA Junior Golf Series wins and one runner-up finish from Kenya.
In the girls’ division, Laura Natukunda from Tooro Club emerged champion after she carded 242 over the three rounds, beating Lugazi’s Harsshitha Loganathan to the championship by four strokes.
Boys: Top ten
Anthony Otukei (UG) 73 75 67 215
Shaka Kariisa (UG) 75 72 69 216
Derrick Musana (UG) 83 75 68 226
Peter Mayende (UG) 75 79 73 227
Justin Ngeera (KEN) 75 75 79 229
Joel Okoth (UG) 73 78 79 230
Charles Jjunju (UG) 76 76 80 232
David Kamoga (UG) 77 81 75 233
Gavin Bwambale (UG) 77 81 75 233
Raymond Rwothomio (UG) 74 82 78 233
Girls: Top ten
Laura Natukunda 81 78 83 242
Harsshitha Loganathan 82 83 81 246
Enhui Zhang 85 85 81 251
Esther Kemigisa 79 91 89 259
Isabelle Mbaho 92 90 83 265
Patience Nafuna 96 93 92 281
Joanita Nanyombi 98 98 87 283
Shanitah Chebet 102 93 93 288
Rachael Kabugho 100 93 98 291
Miriam Ejang 105 98 93 296