The Tanzanian contingent showcased their golfing prowess on the opening day of the Johnnie Walker Uganda Ladies Open Golf Championship 2024 at Entebbe Golf Club, with three players securing spots in the top four of the leaderboard.
Hawa Wanyeche led the charge, navigating the challenging course with a commendable three-over par 73.
Her performance included birdies on the notoriously difficult 17th hole, the first hole, and the 13th, although a double-bogey on the 7th hole slightly marred her scorecard.
Wanyeche’s strong showing placed her one stroke ahead of former champion, Uganda’s Martha Babirye, who finished the day in second.
Babirye, initially struggling with a five-over par at the halfway mark, rallied on the back nine to finish at four-over, demonstrating resilience and keeping her hopes alive for a strong tournament finish.
Completing Tanzania’s impressive start were Neema Olomi and Iddy Hussein Madina, who carded rounds of 76 and 78, respectively.
In a tightly contested fifth position, a four-way tie saw Tanzanian golfers Vicky Elias and Aalaa Riyaz Somji join Uganda’s Meron Kyomugisha and Harriet Kitaka, all finishing with scores of 79.
Somji, who had been performing well, faced a challenging end to her round, suffering back-to-back double bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes, followed by a bogey on the 18th, which shifted her from a promising position.
The opening five holes at Entebbe proved to be particularly tough, with only two birdies recorded among the 40 competitors, highlighting the difficulty of the course.
Wanyeche and Diana Nambalirwa were the only players to conquer these early hurdles with birdies.
Golfers who can emerge from these initial challenges unscathed will significantly boost their chances of success throughout the tournament.
The par-5 11th hole emerged as the day’s easiest, yielding seven birdies and offering players a chance to recover from earlier setbacks.
Action continues today, Friday, and this round will be crucial in deciding which golfers remain in contention.
Notably absent from this year’s event is defending champion Peace Kabasweka, who withdrew for personal reasons, leaving the field wide open for a new champion to emerge.
