David Kamulindwa needs no formal introduction to the golf fraternity in East Africa. If anything, he is relaunching his profile, and in style, after he won the Professionals title at the Entebbe Open presented by Stanbic Bank on Wednesday.
Kamulindwa may have suffered a blip on Day Three on Tuesday but he returned to complete with a comfortable round of two-under 69 to win the 72-hole tournament by six shots.
The man raised in Fort Portal finished on aggregate seven-under 277 with only Tuesday’s six-over 77 seeming odd. ‘Yesterday (Tuesday), I couldn’t feel my body, everything was off, I couldn’t turn and even my putting,’ a happy but calm Kamulindwa said.
‘I wasn’t feeling okay but today, I realized that I had to do my routine,’ he said. ‘I normally jog in the morning. I did a jog and I was feeling okay and that’s how I won, played two-under to win the tournament
This marked his second win of the year, adding to the Watoto Golf tournament at Uganda Golf Club (UGC) in Kitante back in early August.
At the par-71 course in Entebbe, Kamulindwa held a nine-shot lead over the field in the quest for the biggest share of Shs50m after opening rounds of 66 and 65.
Yet a wobble put him just three shots adrift of Grace Kasango after 54 holes. He however turned on the lights again with a closing round of four birdies on Holes par-4 No.3 and the par-5s No.11, No.15 and No.18.
The bogeys on Holes par-4 No.5 and the par-3 Hole No.8 denied Kamulindwa a perfect finish.
‘On No.5, my tee-shot was poor and at No.8, I have been playing short of clubs and I was gambling with a 7-iron yet I needed a 6-iron. Also, the tee-box stones were pulled back after Day One,’ he explained his three straight bogeys on the eighth green.
Kamulindwa is crediting his coaches for the classic show calibrated by 19 birdies and 42 pars. ‘I played regulation golf. My putting is up and down but I got new coaches who are trying to help me.
This is the fourth tournament working with them I have won two, finished third on another and tied seventh at the Uganda Pros Open,’ he added.
He plans to continue his trajectory at Sunshine Development Tour in Nairobi, Kenya so as to close the year competitively.
Kamulindwa finished ahead of Abraham Ainamani who closed with a best round of the day – four-under 67 comprising three birdies and bogey in the last four holes for aggregate one-under 283. ‘It was good,’ said Ainamani
Entebbe’s Herman Deco Mutebi felt reborn after making the cut and he finished rounds of 68 and 70 including 11 straight pars on the final day thereby tying in third on one-over 285 with Grace Kasango and two-time defending champion Rodell Gaita.
STANBIC ENTEBBE OPEN (PROS)
FINAL LEADERBOARD
1 David Kamulindwa 66 65 77 69 277 -7
2 Abraham Ainamani 74 66 76 67 283 -1
T3 Herman Deco Mutebi 73 74 68 70 285 +1
T3 Grace Kasango 70 70 71 74 285 +1
T3 Rodell Gaita 75 70 69 71 285 +1
6 Canary Kabise 78 67 69 74 288 +4
7 Marvin Kibirige 70 72 73 75 290 +6
8 Emma Ogwang 73 72 73 73 291 +7
T9 James Koto 72 75 72 74 293 +9
T9 Vincent Byamukama 69 76 77 71 293 +9
T9 Phillip Kasozi 76 72 71 74 293 +9
T9 Silver Opio 75 68 76 74 293 +9
CAST OF ENTEBBE OPEN WINNERS (PROS)
2024: Rodell Gaita (UGA)
2023: Rodell Gaita (UGA)
2019: Jastas Madoya (KEN)