South Africa-based Zambian golfer Dayne Jr. Moore delivered a near-perfect performance on the opening day of the 2024 Johnnie Walker Uganda Professional Golf Open, shooting a remarkable 64 at the par-71 Entebbe Golf Club.
Moore’s round, highlighted by nine birdies, left him two shots clear of his closest competitors.
His flawless play on all the par-5s was marred only by two bogeys on the par-3 6th and 16th holes.
Remarkably, his scorecard did not feature a single 5, underscoring the exceptional quality of his game.
Chasing Moore are Kenyan Jastas Madoya, the 2021 champion, who finished with a solid 66, and Samuel Njoroge Chege, who closed with a 68.
Chege, in particular, finished strongly with birdies on four of the last six holes, propelling him into the mix for Day Two.
Abraham Ainamani, another contender, produced a similarly strong finish with birdies on the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 18th holes to card a 69, the best score by a Ugandan on Day One.
Ainamani’s round was a tale of two halves; after starting with a bogey on the first hole and reaching the halfway point at two-over-par, he found his rhythm on the back nine.
His 69 keeps him within striking distance of the leaders as the tournament progresses.
Ugandan hopeful Adolf Muhumuza, who posted a level-par 71, noted that the course conditions heavily favour long hitters.
“If you hit the ball far and consistently find the fairways, you are definitely going to score because the course is running very fast,” he said.
Other Ugandans who put themselves in a strong position for making the Cut include Opio Onito with a 70, Philip Kasozi at level-par 71, and Deo Akope with a one-over 72.
Among the amateurs, Joseph Reagan Akena and Joseph Cwinya-ai also carded rounds of 71, keeping their hopes alive.
Further down the leaderboard, Robson Chinhoi, Dismas Indiza, and Ronald Rugumayo will be looking to bounce back from disappointing starts, having shot 73, 74, and 75 respectively.
Rugumayo, in particular, will need to improve on his three-over performance on the back nine to avoid missing the Cut on Friday.
