Golfers 'die' on course as four win air tickets

By Michael Nsubuga

A total of 178 ‘tombs’ were dug on the course on Saturday but golfers lived to celebrate their scores in the RwandaAir Golf Tombstone tournament at Kitante.

In the tombstone format, golfers begin their rounds with an allotment of strokes and they play until their strokes run out. The golfer who makes it farthest around the golf course is the winner.

Handicap 29 junior golfer Doreen Kirabo was the last to ‘die’ and eventually took the overall prize alongside Chinese golfer Ji Song Linch.

Consequently Kirabo and Song won themselves air tickets to Rwanda and slots to play in the Rwandan Open due next month alongside Gloria Mbaguta and Ernest Rukundo who were the best in the ladies Groups A and C respectively.

Kirabo was the last lady standing, ‘dying’ on Hole No.3 while Song ‘died’ on Hole No. 1.

Mbaguta completed her allotted strokes, 70 feet to pin No 1 while Rukundo was 2.5 feet to Hole-No.1.
 

Rwandan Amabassador to Uganda Frank Mugambage (2nd left), Rwanda Air  Country Manager Ada Magezi (3rd left) and Senior Regional Manager-East Alice Katiti (center) pose with Gloria Mbaguta (left), Ji Song Linch (3rd right), Doreen Kirabo (2nd right) and Ernest Rukundo. (Credit: Michael Nsubiga)

Eva Magala and Harriet Kitaka were also in fantastic form to finish as first and second runners up in the ladies Group A, with their tombs 125 and 200 yards to green No. 1 respectively.

Group B prizes went to Rose Azuba, Ruth Ssali and Candy Mpanga while Stella Asiimwe, Connie Mukuru and Hans Christensen’s tombs were inside the 17th, 16th and 20 yards to the 16th hole respectively.

Francis Ngabo (4ft to Hole-No.1), Gerald Kabuye (22ft to Hole-No.1) and Jimmy Alemiga (2 yards to green No.1) were the last men standing in the men’s group A while Sam Byaruhanga, Dennis Tindyeebwa and Semei Mwesigwa stood last in Group B.

Group C prizes went to Ernest Rukundo, Jezan Mohamed and Tatenda Ndolvu.

Rwandan Amabassador to Uganda Frank Mugambage, Rwanda Air Senior Regional Manager-East Alice Katiti, and Country Manager Ada Magezi presided over the one-day tournament that is set to become annual.

The prize ceremony was spiced up by Rwandan cultural dances before golfers later took to the floor.

The tombstone format gets its name from the fact that little flags are usually given to competitors to stick in the ground at the point from which their final shot is played. The golfer who stakes his flag the farthest around the course is the winner.

Flags can be played using full handicaps or partial handicaps to determine the stroke allotment.