Marvin Kibirige gave golf enthusiasts and reporters a story for the ages at the Pearl of Africa golf series on Saturday.
His heart stopping, nerve-twisting, electric and sensational contest with the indefatigable Ronald Rugumayo in the final round will go down in folklore.
Teeing 17, Rugumayo needed a three-stroke swing to force a playoff. It looked unlikely. Or so we thought.
But when you have hit a hole-in-one at a DP World Tour event, made the cut at the Magical Kenya Open and played on the Sunshine Tour, it is likely that you have the mettle and mental prowess to take on such sizeable challenges.
Kibirige missed the green on 17, failed to save par and allowed Rugumayo to within two strokes. On 18, Kibirige blocked his tee shot while his opponent found the fairway.
A sensational birdie by Rugumayo and Kibirige’s bogey set the stage for a playoff. To his credit, Kibirige showed that he has come of age and can stand toe-to-toe against the best and not be intimidated.
After his victory on Saturday, Kibirige revealed that his focus and attention is firmly on the 36-hole qualifier for the DP World Magical Kenya Open to be played at Vet Lab.
It is due next week. And because of that, he will skip the Rwanda Open that tees off on Wednesday at Kigali Golf Resort & Villas. “It was a tough decision to make, but one I had to do,” Kibirige explained.
“The tournament in Rwanda is a good one but I believe that I have a chance to reach the Magical Kenya Open and the time is too short between the Kigali tournament and the Vet Lab qualifiers yet the rest is important.”
The Rwanda Open ends this Saturday while the 36-hole Vet Lab MKO qualifier is to be held two days later.
Kibirige meanwhile says that he never doubted his chances even after Rugumayo forced a dramatic playoff.
“I knew that Mayo is a solid golfer but come the playoff, I knew that I had the ability to stand against him having matched him over 72 holes,” he noted.
The professionals shared a kitty of Shs20m while the amateurs, whose tournament was won by John Musiimenta, played for Shs5m.
The next leg of the Pearl of Africa Golf series will be played at the par-71 Entebbe Golf Club in April.
If the UGC Pearl of Africa Golf series event is anything to go buy, the Entebbe competition promises to be another spectacular show.
