Brilliant Indiza leaves it late to win Uganda Open
Dismas Indiza (right) with his caddie holding the Uganda Open trophy after receiving it from Uganda Breweries Limited managing director Andrew Kilonzo (left), at Uganda golf club, Kitante in Kampala on October 28, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Indiza beat Uganda’s Ronald Rugumayo who had set the pace from day one, by three shots, to claim the top prize 5,578 US dollars (about Sh819,966)
- What a brilliant finish it was for the 55 years old Indiza from Kakamega Golf Club who started the final round journey in the morning with an eagle three at the par five-first hole
- He picked up four birdies thereafter, with only a bogey coming at the ninth, and despite dropping two more shots at the back nine, birdies at the 13th and 16th brought a round of 67 for an all rounds total of 11 under par 277
Kenya’s senior professional Dismas Indiza Anyonyi produced a super final round of five under par 67 at the Uganda Golf Club, Kitante, in Kampala, Uganda to clinch the 2023 Johnnie Walker Uganda Open golf tournament on Saturday.
He beat Uganda’s Ronald Rugumayo who had set the pace from day one, by three shots, to claim the top prize 5,578 US dollars (about Sh819,966).
What a brilliant finish it was for the 55 years old Indiza from Kakamega Golf Club who started the final round journey in the morning with an eagle three at the par five-first hole.
He picked up four birdies thereafter, with only a bogey coming at the ninth, and despite dropping two more shots at the back nine, birdies at the 13th and 16th brought a round of 67 for an all rounds total of 11 under par 277.
On the other hand, Rugumayo now a regular player in South Africa’s Sunshine Tour, and who started the final day a shot better than Indiza, bogeyed the last hole of the final round for one over par 73 and an aggregate of eight under par 280.
Rugumayo had started the round well, firing two birdies though a bogey at the sixth and a double at the par three-ninth, then picked up another bogey at the 11th, eagled the 13th but failed to make more birdies at the remaining five holes, to tie for second place with Namibia’s Paulino Kasoma who shot two under par 70 in the closing round for a total of eight under par 280.
On the other hand, the victory for the senior pro Indiza was his seventh since 2007.
He last won the event in 2018, and surrendered the title to Zambia’s Madalitso Muthiya the following year at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resorts.
Meanwhile another top Ugandan pro Philip Kasozi finished fourth on seven under par 281, just a shot better than Kenya’s Njoroge Kibugu and Zimbabwe’s Visitor Mapwanya.
A total of 13 Kenyan pros had made the second round cut while Uganda managed to squeeze 10 players including two amateurs in the last two rounds.
Action now shift to East Africa’s oldest Golf Club, Entebbe Golf Club, for the Entebbe Open from next Wednesday.
