Wanzala bags Hima Cement Captain's Prize title
Mar 17, 2016
Wanzala tied in second place with Entebbe's George Olayo and Silver Opio after the opening round
Professional golfer Fred Wanzala shot a closing one-under-par 71 to win the Hima Cement Captain's Prize tournament at Kitante on Thursday.
The Jinja Club golfer displayed great finesse to cut day-one leader, Deo Akope's four stroke lead going into the last round of the 36-hole competition to win with a 143 gross score.
Wanzala tied in second place with Entebbe's George Olayo and Silver Opio after the opening round on Wednesday, but improved his day-one score by a stroke as Deo Akope shot a closing four-over par 76 to surrender the biggest share of sh7m to Wanzala.
Herman Mutaawe who on Tuesday had won the Barclays tournament, finished joint second behind Akope while Phillip Kasozi was two strokes away in third.
Playing only their third professionals' competition, rookies Hussein Bagalana, Gideon Kagyenzi and Lawrence Muhenda tied in fourth position after returning 148 gross with another Entebbe pair of Silver Opio and Henry Lujja also tying in 5th.
Meanwhile Vincent Byamukama will have to double his efforts to fulfil his hopes of becoming the first Ugandan to make the cut at the Barclays Kenya Open.
Byamukama shot an opening round five-over-par 77 to tie in 103 position with seven other professionals after day one action at Nairobi's Karen Golf Club.
Byamukama managed only one birdie on the 18th and is 11 strokes off in the opening round that had Germany's Moritz Lampert and South Africa's Van Tonder Danie take joint leadership with six-under par 66.
Amateur golfer Ronald Otile also taking part in the event shot an opening 80 despite returning 73 in the practice round a day earlier.
But his score was better than that of four Kenyan professionals who are trailing the field of 156 golfers.