Golfer Namakula earns first paycheck as pro

Uganda Ladies Golf champion Flavia Namakula's second attempt in the professional ranks began on a good note when she made the cut in the SuperSport Ladies Challenge at Huddle Park Golf Club in South Africa last week.

Namakula shot, 75, 76, 75 for an aggregate of 226 over 54 holes to finish 20th out of 47 participants in the 2017 Sunshine Ladies Tour season opener.

She tied with Tandi von Ruben, Laila Hrindova, Richards Monja and Francesca Cuturi in 20th position to earn her first paycheck in the paid ranks.

She will now be hoping for even better fortunes when she competes in the South Africa Women's Masters in an even bigger field of over 60 players at the Rondebosch Golf Club in Cape Town on January 19-21.

"The New Year found me in South Africa and I'm determined to make it," said Namakula.

The Supersport Ladies Challenge was won by South Africa's Kim Williams who shot 70, 70, 69 for a winning total of seven-under-par 209 and her first success since a maiden conquest in her pro debut in 2014.

Five-time Uganda Ladies Open champion, Namakula made her first attempt at turning pro in South Korea in 2015 but missed the cut then, before her latest move in South Africa.