Nine new faces on national golf team as qualifiers end
Jan 23, 2015
National team captain Adolf Muhumuza and Uganda champion Willy Kitata had to dig deep to make it to the national side as the national team qualifiers ended Thursday at Kitante.
By Michael Nsubuga
Top five after final round
Ronald Otile 75+74+71+73=220
Richard Baguma 80+73+71+76=300
Ronald Rugumayo 75+73+78+75=301
Ismail Muhamood 78+76+73+75=302
Titus Okwong 79+71+76+78=304
National team captain Adolf Muhumuza and Uganda champion Willy Kitata had to dig deep to make it to the national side as the national team qualifiers ended Thursday at Kitante.
Muhumuza, Kitata and Happy Robert who have been regulars on the team found themselves trailing by the final round but used their experience to crawl back in the final twenty that will comprise the team this year.
Muhumuza returned 77 to share the last cut-off places with new comers Joseph Chwinyai (76) and Deco Mutebi (75) who are some of the new faces on the team.
Kitata returned 78 while Happy Robert carded 76 to rejoin the team in the two-day tightly contested event.
Ronald Otile (73 gross) produced the best score of the day to finish on top of the log with a total score of 293 over the four rounds.
Richard Baguma (300 gross) finished second with Ronald Rugumayo (301 gross) completing a top 3 finish for the Toro Club crew.
Jinja’s Ismail Muhmood will for the first time be part of the team after misfiring in the past two qualifiers. He finished fourth with 302 gross.
Other new comers on the team include Richard Baguma (Toro), Titus Okwong (Toro), Abraham Ainamani (Entebbe), Bony Amale (Entebbe), Sam Kato (Entebbe), Martin Ochaya (Entebbe), Hassan Kiyemba (UGC), Deco Mutebi (Entebbe) and Joseph Chwinyai (Toro).
Returnees on the team include Patrick Mwaka, Henry Lujja, Ronnie Bukenya and Lawrence Muhenda.
The qualifiers attracted 41 golfers of handicap 6 who are not above the age of 30.
The top twenty who qualified will continue to fight for top places on the team depending on the nature of the competition entered by the UGU.
The Zone 6 Africa Championships at the Uganda Golf Club in April and the East African Challenge trophy defense in Rwanda later this year are some of the assignments that await the top twenty.
Meanwhile Entebbe club is today hosting the first ever junior Open tournament in Uganda.
Junior golfers from Fort Portal, Kasese, Jinja and Lugazi are set to compete in the one-day, African Express Airways and Entebbe Club sponsored event.
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