Dominic Musonda didn’t play his best game in the fourth and final round of the Uganda Open, but that was largely because he didn’t need to. At one point midway through the front nine, he was coasting with a 10-stroke advantage.
The electrical engineering student remained secure even when fellow Zambian Gilbert Chalwe made a late surge. With the title virtually sewn up after shooting a 64 on Thursday, Musonda wrapped up the Uganda Open Amateur title on Friday afternoon, finishing nine-under par to beat Chalwe by three shots.
Playing out of Nkana Golf Club in the Copperbelt region of Zambia, Musonda will take particular delight in this accomplishment after losing out to Uganda’s Joseph Cwinya-ai in last year’s tournament at Lugazi Hills Golf & Country Club.
Cwinya-ai finished the final two days strong to claim third spot, but he will rue poor rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday that doomed his chances of a successful title defense. His final-round card of 70 catapulted him into third, one stroke ahead of Joseph Kasozi, who faded progressively after a blistering start.
Other Ugandans who cracked the top 10 on the leaderboard were Lawrence Walakira, whose two-under 70 was riddled with seven birdies; Joel Okoth, John Musiimenta, Godfrey Kambale, and Sande Lulet. The only other non-Ugandan in the field was Zambia’s Musamba Kapoma, who tied for fifth alongside Musiimenta, Okoth, and Walakira.
The shot of the day belonged to Ignatious Twesigye, who hit an ace on the fourth hole. It was his first-ever hole-in-one and made his decision to participate in the Open worthwhile after laboring through the four-day event. Twesigye dropped a crisp 50-degree wedge right into the cup.
On Saturday, Group B golfers will tee off at 11:00 AM to conclude the subsidiary round of the competition before a spectacular prize-giving ceremony to crown Musonda and the other top performers.
