Western empire

Aug 12, 2002

WESTERN showed the resilience to perform under pressure by winning the Inter Regional Championship for a record eighth time yesterday. Teamwork and a consistent display also spurred the event’s most successful team at the par-70 Kitante course.

By William Muwonge Western 2976Northern 2982Buganda 2998Eastern 3004WESTERN showed the resilience to perform under pressure by winning the Inter Regional Championship for a record eighth time yesterday. Teamwork and a consistent display also spurred the event’s most successful team at the par-70 Kitante course. “We worked hard to reach this stage, I am relieved, I have been under a lot of pressure over the last three weeks,” team captain, John Carvalho, said. Carvalho said choosing the team presented several difficulties. “I had many good players to pick from, in fact some complained bitterly after being left out.”Western, who traditionally come from behind to win, were second behind day one leaders and two-time winners Buganda. The champions’ rivals cracked under pressure on the second 18. The teams’ biggest undoing was the putting weakness. But five-time champions Northern produced the 15th edition’s best player, Andrew Opio, who carded 133 nett. The 22-year-old, playing off handicap 14, sunk birdies on number 5 and 8 yesterday. Opio, a student at Uganda Martyrs University, said: “ It is a good feeling to be the best, it was a tight event.” Emmanuel Basaliza, 77, one of Uganda’s oldest golfers, was Western’s top performer at 139.

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