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By Joe Walusimbi
Christopher Basaliza (9) made one of the greatest golf plays you didn’t see, but it was only enough to stave off profound disappointment for other players at the 2024 Rwenzori Golf Open.
And when all was finished, the Kinyara Golf Team was on the right end of one of their better performances at the tournament, while Teams Tooro, Mbarara, Namulonge, Kasese, and Uganda Golf Clubs were left blinking.
What happened in the late afternoon on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Fort Portal’s Tooro Golf Club is a lot to digest.
Christopher Basaliza (9), perhaps the Rwenzori Open Golf Tournament victor, tortured his golfing counterparts with the best game of his adult life.
Opponents Dennis Aguma (12) and Frank Kirungi (11) endured a defensive game plan concocted by arguably the most decorated Uganda’s golfing coaching staff at the time.
And the Kinyara Golf Club team members were flying across the Tooro region back to Masindi on Sunday, March 17, 2024, not only with five medals of any kind from the 2024 Rwenzori Open Golf tournament but also with pleasure after conquering groups A and B and also clinching the nearest to the pin golf award at the tournament.
Christopher Basaliza (9), beat teammate Dennis Aguma (12) by one stroke with a 65 net for Kinyara Golf Club to clinch a one-two for group A. Aguma Dennis (12) played 66 net on his comeback to competitive golf in 2024.
The group’s top 10 finishers also had veteran golfer Oketi Andrew (7) in the seventh position in Group A with a net of 72 strokes.
Simon Onadra (13) won group B with a net of 64 strokes, defeating Moses Toko (15), in another Kinyara Golf Club one-two. Moses Toko (15) finished second with 65 strokes in net.
The top 10 finishers included Wilfred Kushemererwa (13) with 66 net strokes in fourth, William Drapari (15) with 69 net strokes in fifth, and Godwin Okumu (17) with 70 net strokes in seventh.
But of all the twists and turns of the 2024 Rwenzori Open Golf competition, there were a total of 81 players, 17 from Kinyara Golf Club, who won five trophies.
Simon Ojobile (11) won the nearest to the pin award after wading off stiff competition from Moses Toko and Steven Baguma, all from Kinyara Golf Club, at hole number 15 at Tooro Golf Club.
Group C witnessed great performances from Kinyara Golf Club players too. Percy Mpuuga (30) played 68 net strokes in fourth position and was beaten on a countback. Stephen Oribi (19) played 69 net strokes in fifth position, while Collins Mukuru (33) played 70 net in ninth position.
In his first competitive golf tournament away from home, Godfrey Okot (47), Kinyara Golf Club’s youngest recruit, finished 11th in Group C with 71 strikes.
Christopher Basaliza (9) appreciated Kinyara Sugar Limited’s Corporate Communications, Aldon Walukamba, for having encouraged the team players on and off the course at the Tooro Golf Club.
“We thank our corporate communications manager and the management of Kinyara Sugar Limited for the support, trust, and recognition rendered to us golfers,” said Christopher Basaliza (9).
Moses Enzama, Kinyara Golf Captain, led the Kinyara Golf Club team to a successful competition for the second time at Tooro Club in 2024.
“It was the constant training of team members that yielded all these results in the past few months. We will continue training as we wait for other competitions this year,” Enzama said.
Three weeks ago, in February 2024, Henry Byaruhanga (12) won group A at the Tooro Club 2024 Venus Open with 63 strokes net, Charles Margach (17) came in as second runner-up in group B with 70 strokes net, and Aldon Walukamba (31) won group C with 64 net strikes at the 2024 Venus Open.
Kinyara Golf Club will host the inaugural Kabalega golf tournament in June 2024. This is the second golf competition at Kinyara Golf Course, having previously hosted the Kinyara Open Golf Tournament for the past 25 years.
Thumbs up for Team Kinyara. I see of late there is increased activity on the golf course. The results do correlate.