Rugumayo pockets sh3.5m from Pro-Am tournament

Uganda’s professional golfer Ronald Rugumayo registered a morale-boosting win ahead of the Johnnie Walker Uganda Professionals Open after he claimed the biggest share of the sh8m prize money from the Absa Bank-sponsored Pro-Am tournament.

Rugumayo who won the event as an amateur and is vying for his first Uganda professional’s open win, returned 39 stable ford points as he played for the Johnnie Walker-2 team that comprised of Paul Habyarimana (43pts), Daniel Kalimuzo (33pts) and Sammy Migunda (26pts).

He picked a sh3.5m cheque for his efforts and is also now assured of a full sponsorship to next year’s Kenya Magical Open if he qualifies for the event through the Safari Tour.

“I’m happy that I was able to meet my target today of hitting as many greens as possible. I hit 16 greens on regulation and only missed two. I got four birdies and one bogey,” Rugumayo told the media after holing out.

The HH Solutions team-2 comprised of Michael Musiime (44pts), Bob Matsiko (38) and Alex Mango (38) who played alongside Rwandan pro Erneste Ndayisenga finished second on 113 points, with the latter pickling a sh2.5m cheque; while the Absa-8 team comprising of Emma Tayebwa (39), Jimmy Odongkara (35), Henry Mbonye (35) and Ugandan pro David Kamulindwa (38pts) finished third overall on 112 points with Kamulindwa picking a sh2m cheque.

Absa chipped in for this year’s open with sh200m part of which was for pro-am. But the biggest part of the package is sponsorship to the 2024 Magical Kenya Open for the top ten golfers that emerged from the event; with priority going to the professional golfers that will make the cut.

The top amateurs from the Pro-Am pose with their prizes after the event at Kitante. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

The top five amateurs that are assured of the fully paid trip to Kenya include Michael K. Musiime (44pts) Paul Habyarimana (40pts), Ivan Ainaitwe (40pts), Patricia Mbabazi (40pts), Emma Tayebwa (39pts),

Those on the tentative list who will make it for the tournament in case the pros don’t make it include UGC captain Emmanuel Wamala who managed 30 points, Bob Matsiko (38pts), Alex Mango (38pts), Michael Tumusiime (38pts), Wendy Angudeyo (39pts).

The top five professionals from the event included Marvin Kibirige who returned 42 points, Dennis Anguyo (40pts), Edwin Mudanye (40pts), Ronald Rugumayo (39pts), and Paulino Kasoma from Namibia who returned 30 points.

These have to qualify for the Magical Kenya Open via the Safari Tour in order to enjoy Absa’s full sponsorship of the 2024 Magical Kenya Open.

Absa Managing Director Mumba Kalifungwa had earlier teed off the tournament while Michael Segwaya the executive director and chief finance officer at the bank rewarded the top teams saying their sponsorship aligns with their purpose ‘to empower Africa’s tomorrow together, one story at a time’.

He congratulated all the winners hailed the UGU for the good organization and ‘we look forward to more years of greater partnership together’.