Ugandan professional golfer Ronald ‘Mayo’ Rugumayo has once again shown that his upward climb on the Sunshine Tour ladder is no fluke.
The 32-year-old Fort Portal native fired rounds of 68, 70 and 67 to finish tied second on five-under-par (205) at the Betway Big Easy Tour 8 that climaxed yesterday at Killarney Country Club in Johannesburg, marking his best result of the season.
Rugumayo, who banked R14,460 (about Shs3m) for his efforts, finished behind South African Daniel Cronje (-7) and shared second spot with Dillon Germshuys, beating several seasoned pros on the developmental circuit.
‘What a week at Killarney!’ Rugumayo said after his round. ‘I fought hard all the way to a T2 finish. I’m proud of the fight in the team – it was a proper test. But there’s no time to rest. We turn straight to Pretoria for Big Easy Tour 9 and then to Ebotse Links for the Hyundai Open on the Sunshine Tour. The grind continues.’
Rising Tide
The performance was a statement of intent for the MTN and Johnnie Walker-sponsored star, who has now made two cuts out of four Big Easy Tour starts this season.
His ability to stay composed under pressure and go low in the final round mirrors a player who’s starting to find rhythm and confidence on South African fairways.
His manager Peter Mujuni hailed the showing as ‘a solid sign of growth.’ ‘He finished T2 overall with consistent scoring across three rounds,’ Mujuni said. ‘Now the focus shifts to next week – two big tournaments in Pretoria and Johannesburg. It’s a tight run, but we’re embracing it.’
The end goal for Rugumayo is to crack up the top 20 on the Big Easy Tour Order of Merit and improve his OWGR ranking (currently 2,545).
Next events
Big Easy Tour 9 – Silver Lakes Golf Estate, Pretoria (Oct 3-5)
Hyundai Open – Sunshine Tour, Ebotse Links, Johannesburg (Oct 6-9)