Shaky start for the Ugandans in the Magical Kenya Open

Ugandan golfers Willy Kitata and Joseph Cwinyaai faced a challenging start at the 56th edition of the Magical Kenya Open presented by Absa, which kicked off at Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi on Thursday.

Both players are making their debut in the DP World Tour event, aiming to follow in the footsteps of their compatriot Ronald Rugumayo, who made history last year by becoming the first Ugandan to make the cut in the prestigious tournament, which boasts a prize pool of sh9.1 billion.

Kitata, who is vying for a share of the prize money, struggled in the opening round, carding a six-over 77. Unless he delivers a significantly improved performance in the second round, his chances of advancing look slim.

His round was marred by difficulties with chipping, resulting in double bogeys on the par-3 fifth and 11th holes, as well as on the par-4 17th. He also recorded bogeys on the par-4 first and 14th holes, though he managed to secure birdies on the ninth, 16th, and par-5 18th holes.

Reflecting on his performance, Kitata attributed some of his struggles to an unexpected pace-of-play warning from a rules official, which he felt disrupted his rhythm.

“It was a tough round with a lot of wrong decisions, especially after the rules official interrupted my rhythm with what I felt was an unfair pace-of-play call. I was in a good position to score, but that incident threw me off, and everything went downhill from there,” he explained.

Kitata also admitted to rushing his shots on the 17th hole, leading to a lost ball after the markers failed to spot it. “I shanked it on 17 as I rushed to keep up, but that was a mistake. I didn’t strike well with my irons—I shanked a five, missed with a seven twice, and my chipping was off. I need to fix all that,” he said. Despite the setbacks, Kitata remained optimistic, praising the course conditions and vowing to make the necessary adjustments. “The course is playing well, thanks to the great work done by the grounds crew. It’s all about correcting my mistakes and focusing on my game.”

Kitata emphasized that he feels no pressure to replicate Rugumayo’s achievement, focusing instead on his own performance. “I’m proud of what Rugumayo accomplished, but my focus is on my own game. My pressure comes from my play, not from what he did. I just need to settle in and do my job,” he stated.

Meanwhile, amateur golfer Joseph Cwinyaai, sponsored by Absa, also endured a tough opening round, finishing with a ten-over 81. Cwinyaai acknowledged the pressure of competing in his first DP World Tour event but found some stability midway through the round with a birdie on the sixth hole, followed by three pars on the front nine.

“The first six holes were nerve-wracking, but I managed to settle down a bit after the birdie on hole six. This is a learning process for me—I putted well, but my tee shots were a challenge. I’ll come back stronger tomorrow with better results,” Cwinyaai said. He added that while the course was demanding, it was in excellent condition, with the greens holding well. “I expected a tougher course, but it’s playing well. The pressure of competing alongside established pros is there, but I have nothing to lose. I’m aiming for a much better round tomorrow.”

For both Ugandan players, improving their performance in the second round is crucial to staying in contention. They are joined by a host of other regional golfers, including Englishman John Parry, who leads the leaderboard after a bogey-free opening round of eight-under 63. South Africa’s Jayden Schaper is close behind with a 64. The opening round also featured a highlight moment when Britain’s Eddie Pepperell scored a hole-in-one on the par-3 11th hole, adding excitement to the tournament’s start.

As the competition progresses, Kitata and Cwinyaai will need to overcome their early struggles to make their mark in this year’s Magical Kenya Open.

Round one: Top ten

John Parry (ENG) 63

Herbert Benjamin (FRA)63

Jayden Schaper (SA) 64

Jacob Skov Olesen (DEN) 65

Jamie Rutherford (ENG) 66

Kristoffer Reitan (NOR) 66

Freddy Schott (GER) 67

Angel Ayora (SPA) 67

Daan Huizing (FRA) 67

Joel Moscatel (SPA) 67

Marcel Siem (GER) 67