Rugumayo finally breaks jinx at Johnnie Walker Uganda Golf Open

 

Rugumayo finally climbs Uganda’s Golf Everest after putting masterclass at UGC; First Ugandan winner since 2014

Kampala, Uganda | UGU MEDIA | Cometh the hour, cometh the man. When the chips were down, up stepped the son of Toro. With the kingdom grieving after the passing of their king and now subsequently awaiting the coronation of his replacement, a new champion, was crowned at Kitante after Ronald Rugumayo won the Johnnie Walker Uganda Golf Professionals Open. A difficult week for Toro has ended with some with good news.

For so many years, Rugumayo had come close. Asked on Tuesday how he felt ahead of the Open, he responded with two words. “I am hungry.” He had been knocking on the door in recent Uganda Opens, only to falter towards the end.

This time round, he held his nerve to become the first Ugandan winner since Deo Akope in 2014. But it wasn’t as easy as he made it seem.

Playing alongside Dismas Indiza and Philip Kasozi in the second-to-last group, Rugumayo started slowly. He was one-over after the second hole before he improved his card with red scores on holes three, four and five. A huge save on the sixth for par maintained his momentum and he came close to a birdie on the seventh.

But the turning point of the round came on the eighth where everything that could possibly happen happened. Rugumayo’s tee shot went right with no one sure where it was. He then went out-of-bounds with his provisional before playing another ball down the fairway.

After a search, his first ball was found in bounds, but it took some considerable time. Indiza, who also went out-of-bounds, took some time as he sought relief from a mound of soil. The latter shot a seven, but Rugumayo, who later sought relief for his third shot that was resting on stones on a pathway, miraculously chipped in for a birdie that gave him all the momentum he desperately needed. He scorched the back nine with some huge plays, including monster birdies on 15 and 17 that broke the field.

“I have waited for so long for this,” a relieved Mayo noted afterwards.

“I want to thank the entire team of friends who have supported me in this journey. This victory is theirs too.”

Rugumayo, who shot a 66, finished four strokes better than Nigeria’s Godwin Okoko, the day three leader. The top six positions were occupied by seven countries. In third was Kenya’s Greg Snow with Tanzania’s Nuru Mollel and Rwanda’s Celestine Nsanzuwera taking fourth and fifth. There was a three-way tie for sixth. They were Zambian amateur Dominic Musonda, Robson Chinhoi (Zimbabwe) and Dayne Moore (Zambia).

All hail the new king of the Uganda Professional Golf Open. Ronald Rwabogo Rugumayo.

✳ Winners of Pro Open since 2006
2006 – Deo Akope (Uganda)
2007 – Dismas Indiza (Kenya)
2008 – Dismas Indiza(Kenya)
2009 – Richard Ainley (Kenya)
2010 – Dismas Indiza (Kenya)
2011 – Dismas Indiza (Kenya)
2012 – Dismas Indiza (Kenya)
2013 – Vicent Byamukama (Uganda)
2014 – Deo Akope (Uganda)
2015 – Madalisto Muthiya (Zambia)
2016 – Joshua Seale (South Africa)
2017 – Stephen Ferriera (Portugal)
2018 – Dismas Indiza (Kenya)
2019 – Madalisto Muthiya (Zambia)
2020 – Robson Chinhoi (Zimbabwe)
2021 – Jastas Madoya (Kenya)
2022 – Robson Chinoi (Zimbabwe)
2023 – Dismus Ndiza (Kenya)
2024 – Dayne Moore (Zambia)
2025 – Celestine Nsanzuwera (Rwanda)
2025 – Ronald Rugumayo (Uganda)

2026 leader board