Huge field for popular Uganda Open

A field of 88 professional golfers drawn from 12 different countries are all set to tackle the Uganda Golf Club course from 7am Thursday in the first round of this year’s Uganda Open being sponsored by Tusker Malt Lager.

This year, the tournament which traditionally takes place in September and starts with the ladies section followed by the elite amateurs, tees off late because of Covid-19, which forced the postponement and cancellation of many sporting events in the world.

And for a change, Uganda is being represented by a team of 31 players, one more than Kenya, whose players have over the years been the majority in the event, which comes back to the Uganda Golf Club course in Kampala,having taking place at Entebbe Golf Club in 2018 and at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort in Kigo last year.

Leading the field once again will be the 37-year-old Zambian professional, Madalitso Muthiya, who is out for his third victory in the tournament whose prize fund stands at 100m Uganda shillings (about 3,7000 Us, dollars, Sh3.7 million).

During last year’s tournament, Muthiya beat Zimbabwe’s Tongoona Charamba by four shots to claim the top prize of US 1,000 dollars (Sh100,000). He fired level par 72 in the final round for an all rounds total of nine under par 279, with Charamba finishing second on five under par 283, just a shot better than Portuguese pro Stephen Fereira.

Kenya’s Dismas Indiza, who was chasing the title and who played the final round with Muthiya, carded one over par 73 to finish in fourth place on three under par 285.

Indiza, one of the most popular pros in East Africa, had won his sixth title in 2018 at Entebbe Golf Club.

Unlike last year where he travelled to Uganda as the hot favourite, this year Indiza has not been in his best form, though he has so far managed to claim one out of the four Safari Tour legs.

Incidentally, one of the top Kenyan pros, Simon Ngige of Thika Sports Club did not travel to Uganda for this year’s Open, and so are players like Ganeev Giddie of Muthaiga, Windsor’s Riz Charania and Sigona’s Mohit Mediratta.

However, chasing the title along with Indiza will be Vet Lab’s Edwin Mudanyi, Kenya Railway Golf Club’s Samuel Njoroge, Golf Park’s David Wakhu and Eric Ooko, Muthaiga’s Greg Snow, Sigona’s John Wangai, and the Great Rift Valley Golf Resort’s Justus Madoya among others.

The Uganda Open is part of the Safari Tour, hence besides the cash, players will also be chasing some points towards the “Road to 2021 Magical Kenya Open’’ to be held at Karen Country Club.