You will be hard-pressed to pick a sportsman who has been more dominant this season than golfer Godfrey Nsubuga.
Last weekend, the amiable product from Mehta Golf Club in Lugazi won the Nyali Open in Mombasa to cap a truly amazing year. He beat Kenyans Michael Karanga, John Lejirma, William Odeck and Adel Balala, and will head into Friday’s Uhuru Shield tournament at Royal Nairobi Golf Club as one of the favourites.
This year, Nsubuga has won six trophies. He won the Uganda Open, Entebbe Open, Kiambu Open, Kericho Tea Fields, Tanzania Open and the Nyali event. “I can comfortably say that this has been a successful year,” the 23-year-old told The Observer on Monday.
“I have grown in confidence, experience and game-management, and I do believe that next year will even be better.”
Nsubuga, currently 249th in the world amateur golf rankings, is hoping to build on his form, going into the 2024 season.
“This season, I triumphed in four world ranking competitions, and my goal is to chase 10 victories in the next calendar year,” he noted.
The Kenya Amateur Golf calendar will have 28 events, and Nsubuga’s dream and desire is to feature in all of them.
“I am grateful to Mehta Golf Club and various individuals who have stepped in time and again to help me financially over the course of the season.
“Hopefully, I can secure some big sponsorship to make my participation smooth in 2024.”
Nsubuga said winning the Uganda Open at Kitante was the sweetest of all victories, despite the fact that it came with no monetary reward.
The Kenyan amateur competitions come with prize money, which is not quite to the levels of the professionals, but it is still noteworthy. For instance, he took home Kshs 100,000 for lifting the Nyali trophy, which is Shs 2m after tax. For the better part of the last two seasons, Karanga has been the most formidable name in amateur golf in Kenya, but Nsubuga’s steely competitiveness has compelled him to raise his game to match his compatriot.
The wins at Kericho Tea Fields, Kiambu and Nyali are testament to how much Nsubuga’s game has grown in leaps and bounds, and their rivalry next season will make for good viewing. Joseph Cwinya-ai, meanwhile, finished third in the Uganda Open and second to Nsubuga in the Entebbe Open, but didn’t quite scale the heights of 2021.
In fact Ibrahim Bagalana showed how far his game has developed in pushing Nsubuga during the Uganda Open. In the professional category, South-Africa-based Ronald Rugumayo finished joint-second in the Uganda Open after a disastrous final round handed the Championship and Shs 21m to Kenyan great Dismas Indiza.
Rugumayo had led from Day One after a superb 67. Teeing on Sunday, he led Indiza by three strokes but the Kenyan veteran playing the opening five holes five under to seize the early initiative and from then on, he never looked back. Rugumayo’s tournament collapsed on the par-3 hole 9 when he four-putted to all but surrender the championship.
It was a promising season for Rodell Gaita, Adolf Muhumuza, Grace Kasango and Marvin Kibirige who are some of the newest members in the Uganda Professional Golfers Association.
In the ladies game, Peace Kabasweka finally lifted the Uganda Open title after years of threatening, while Steven Katwiremu triumphed in the Seniors category after a dramatic three-man playoff involving him, Joseph Bagabo and Onyango Matata.
The Uganda Junior Golf team qualified and competed in the Toyota Junior World Cup in Tokyo Japan. The team, coached by Flavia Namakula, had Joseph Reagan Akena, Juma Abiti, Ibnrahim Semakula and Collins Matovu.
Despite finishing last in the 12-team competition, the youngsters picked valuable lessons in how to plan and prepare for tournaments at the highest level.
Source: The Observer
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