Muhumuza wins Kinyara Golf Professionals Championships

Tooro Club’s Adolf Muhumuza beat Marvin Kibirige after a double sudden-death play-off to win the Kinyara Golf Open professionals tournament at the Kinyara Golf Club in Masindi on Saturday. 

This was Muhumuza’s first career tournament win as a professional, six years after he joined the paid ranks. The two players had tied on 139 gross each after 36 holes of competition at the nine-hole, par-71 course on Friday before the championship was decided the following day. 

During the double sudden-death playoff on the par-4 hole-1, both players tied during the first round after they each played par before Muhumuza birdied the same hole with Kibirige missing a birdie on the same.  

Muhumuza who was a household name as an amateur but had resorted to playing casual golf as a pro, credits Tooro Club’s Yusuf Muhenda and African Data Network’s Denis Tela for his recent form also saw him make the cut for the first time during the Uganda Open and made a top-five finish during the Entebbe Open last month. 

“I came into this tournament determined to win because the Muhumuza of 2015 is back! For the past three months I have been working on my game, thanks to those two gentlemen who are behind my revival,” Muhumuza said. 

“Muhenda in particular woke me up and told me that I could still make it. I had become sort of a casual golfer and I had become a laughing stock at the club until Muhenda talked to me after I lost my mum and I worked with him for a month because he was determined to revive my game. 

“So we could jog together, do aerobics together alongside his coach Issa Bwanika. I also used Muhenda’s clubs during the Uganda Open and the Entebbe Open and that is how I made my first cut during the Uganda Open,” Muhumuza stated. 

“Tela then took over because he has been my fan and he lifted me from the doldrums. He relocated me from Fort Portal to Kampala and he also paid for my membership at the Uganda Golf Club, bought me new clubs, took me for fitting in Mombasa and provided everything, so I can’t thank them enough,” Muhumuza who took the biggest share of a sh10m kitty, said. 

He said the plan was to first win the Entebbe Open but things did not work out as he had anticipated but says he is now back and looking forward to winning many more events in and outside the country. 

The rest of the pros that partook in the cash included Abraham Ainamani who finished third, three strokes away, while Tom Jjingo and Canary Kabise finished fourth and fifth respectively. 

The others were Ronald Bukenya, Ronald Otile, Silver Opio, Richard Baguma, David Kamulindwa, Brian Toolit and Becca Mwanja out of the 24 professionals that graced the event. 

Adolf Muhumuza 70 69 139 

Marvin Kibirige 70 69 139 

Abraham Ainamani 71 71 142 

Tom Jjingo 71 73 144 

Canary Kabise 76 69 145 

Ronald Bukenya 71 74 145 

Ronald Otile 73 73 146 

Silver Opio 76 71 147 

Richard Baguma 76 71 147 

David Kamulindwa 74 73 147 

Brian Toolit 73 76 149 

Becca Mwanja 74 82 156