This archive report was first published on 12 September 2019.
On September 12, 2019, the Uganda Amateur Open golf tournament concluded at the Lake Victoria Serena Resort in Uganda. The four-day tournament was part of the Uganda Open golf extravaganza, which included the Junior Open, Ladies Open, Amateur Open, and the main professional golf event.
Kenyan golfer Daniel Nduva emerged victorious with a score of 2-under par 286, beating his countryman Simon Njogu by a single stroke. Another Kenyan, Samuel Njoroge Chege, finished in third place with an even-par score over the four rounds.
Nduva's win marked the first time a Kenyan amateur had taken the title since 2007. In an interview, Nduva dedicated his victory to his late mother, Diana Munyao, who was a keen golfer herself. He also announced that he would not be defending his title, citing his desire to leave the amateur space to younger players.
The top-placed Ugandan, Joseph Cwinyaai, finished with a score of 5-over par 293. Crowd favourite Ronald Otile finished T5 alongside Denis Asaba, also of Uganda. Otile's score of 66 set a new course record at the championship 18-hole Lake Victoria Serena Resort.
However, the performance of East Africa's top amateurs was a cause for concern, with only four rounds breaking 70 and only three players finishing at par or better. This was reflected in the final leaderboard, which had only three players at par or better.
With the main professional golf tournament underway, Nduva, Otile, and the other top elite amateur golfers joined the professionals in the main event. The tournament featured a strong field of 106 golfers, including seven amateurs, with the top 30 and ties advancing to the next round.
At the time of going to press, Kenya's Justus Madoya and Zimbabwe's Tongoona Charamba were the joint clubhouse leaders with scores of 2-under par through the first round. Live scoring for the Uganda Open was available on golfbox.dk, providing fans with up-to-date information on the tournament.
