Namakula faulters in fourth professional outing

Namakula's fourth outing wasn't as succesful as in her previous tournaments. PHOTO: Michael Nsubuga

Uganda's lady professional golfer Flavia Namakula was a stroke away from earning her fourth pay cheque, but missed the cut in the Ladies Tshwane Open at the Zwartkop Country Club in Pretoria, South Africa.

Namakula who had coped well in her first three tournaments found the going tough returning a gross score of 229 (76, 78, 75) over the three rounds to miss a share on the sh100m prize fund.

Although a similar gross score of 229 won her the 2015 Uganda Ladies Open in Kampala, it this time cost her atleast sh1.4m, the least she would have made for just making the cut.

She will now be hoping for better fortunes in a series of five other tournaments starting with the Cape Town Ladies Open, February 7-9, which has a prize fund of sh53m, ahead of the SLT Dimension Data Challenge at George Golf Club, February 17-19, with over sh90m in prize money.

She is also registered for the Sunshine Ladies Tour Classic at Glendower Golf Club, February 21-23, the Sun International Ladies Challenge at Lost City Golf Course, February 28 and as well as in the Johannesburg Ladies Open and the  Royal Johannesburg & Kensington, March 5-7.

The Ladies Tshwane Open was won by Britain's Kiran Matharu who was in imperious form winning her maiden Sunshine Ladies Tour victory with a commanding performance.

The Englishwoman wrapped it up with a four-under-par 67 for a winning score of nine over 209, beating defending champion Monique Smit and fellow South African Ashleigh Buhai by an emphatic five strokes. She