Herman Deco Mutebi and Rodell Gaita Tadeo are playing like two men on a mission at the ongoing Pearl of Africa Golf Series.
They share halfway leadership after their rounds of 69 and 68 respectively propelled them into a 36-hole lead of five-under 137.
Deco birdied holes 11, 12 before turning on the screw with a glorious eagle on the short par-4 13th. In the same stretch of holes, Gaita carded birdies.
Both Deco and Gaita started their rounds today in slow fashion at Entebbe Golf Course off the shores of Lake Nnalubaale.
Deco was two-over on the day through four after a double-bogey on the stroke index 1 no.4 while Gaita started his round with a bogey.
“The fact is that I have told myself: ‘play to enjoy’,” Deco observed afterwards.
“It is a mentality that is working for me and I want to carry it into the third day,” the soft-spoken Entebbe-based golfer added.
Gaita, meanwhile, wants to keep his head in the zone. “I want to create more chances for myself,” he noted. “I want to keep calm and level-headed going into the third day.”
Chasing them will be the pair of David Kamulindwa and Abraham Ainamani who played identical rounds of 72.
Kamulindwa is three shots off the pace while Ainamani is five. Bulhan Matovu, Silver Opio and Davis Kato are locked at six strokes adrift.
However, Deo Akope and Ronald Otile were two of the biggest names to miss the cut yesterday. The mark was at +8 and the celebrated pair finished at +10 along with Peter Sendaula.
Herman Mutawe, Emma Ogwang and Richard Baguma all made it through, but only just. They attained the cut by finishing at +8.
In the gross amateurs, Friday’s final day promises to be a thrilling spectacle with Michael Tumusiime teeing in the final group with his protege Elton Thembo and Samuel Bazaale.
Tumusiime eagled the final hole to go a stroke behind Thembo who birdied it.
Joseph Reagan Akena is just three strokes off the lead and can’t be discounted by any means.
Joseph Cwinya-ai, meanwhile, restored respect to his name with an impressive score of 68, which was the day’s best round in the amateurs.
He had started with a 78 on Wednesday which effectively ended his hopes of emerging as champion of the Entebbe leg.
He can, however, thrust his name into the money brackets of the competition, and no one can doubt his ability to pull it off.
The pros are playing for a Shs20m kitty while the amateurs will share Shs 5m. On Saturday, there will be a subsidiary round for men and women at the par-71 golf club.
After this weekend, all eyes will be on the third and final Pearl of Africa Golf series leg of the year which will be held in Lugazi in July.
