Zambia’s Dayne Jr Moore is in such control of the 2024 Uganda Professional Golf Open that only a collapse of Devon Loch proportions can deny him victory and Shs31.2m on Saturday evening.
Moore’s birdied the 18th on Wednesday to hole out with a one-over 72 for the day. He is four-under for the Championship and is moving with the demeanour of a golfer who knows he is on the cusp of a famous victory.
It is not wrong to suggest that he has one arm on the trophy.Chasing Moore will be five golfers who are all tied at one-over.
They are Abraham Ainamani, Ronald Rugumayo, ‘Pastor’ Jastas Madoya of Kenya, Zambia’s Sydney Wembaand Cameroon’s Pristhy Fon.
The latter returned the best card on Day Three with a magnificent four-under 67. Rugumayo and Ainamani both played one-under 70.
It was agony for Zimbabwe’s Nyasha Muyambo who was disqualified from the tournament after he signed a card with a wrong score.
He bogeyed the par-5 17th but his scorecard denoted par. Friday’s round saw Uganda’s Rodell Gaita Taddeo hit a hole-in-one on the par-3 8th.
There were spectacular eagles on the par-5 18th from Madoya and Mzee Wakaza Dismas Indiza Anyoni that drew huge ovations from one of the biggest Day Three galleries in Uganda Golf Open memory.
Coming up on Saturday
Saturday’s gallery is expected to be equally massive. Indiza, the defending champion and winner of the tournament on seven occasions, is seven strokes behind the leader.
Saturday’s pressure group is set to tee off at 12:20pm. It has Moore, Madoya and Ainamani. They will tee off after Cameroon’s Fon, Zambia’s Wemba and Rugumayo.
Rwanda’s Celestin Nsanzuwera, Kenya’s Daniel Nduva and Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi are pencilled in for a noon take off.
While Friday’s round included a subsidiary competition for group A and C golfers, Saturday’s will have a competition for those playing in group B.
The 19th edition of the Uganda Professionals Open, the last leg of what has been a glorious and absorbing month-long golf festival that will climax with a beffiting 19th hole experience.
Courtesy Photos
