Juliet Anena doesn’t crave any media attention. It evidently appears that the limelight isn’t her thing. Though, she can’t avoid it considering she is the brainchild of the ever-growing Pearl of Africa (POA) Golf Series.
For the first time since its inception in 2025, PoA is taking a big leap this week. On Monday, POA with its partners welcomed a big foreign legion of about 21 players who will compete at the second leg of the Series at Entebbe Club this week.
Bigger than before
After all her work, PoA got this leg included as part of the Sunshine Development Tour (SDT) and the Big Easy Tour, which are feeder circuits to the big Southern Africa’s Sunshine Tour.
‘Up to now, the majority of our events have been in South Africa,’ Lucas Kyle, who is the Satellite Tours Manager for the Southern Africa PGA Tour or SDT.
‘I think it is a great opportunity. I am excited for this event. Uganda has a lot to offer, in terms of golf courses, players,’ Anena said in a recent interview.
Anena admires the work put in elsewhere globally to make professional golfers tick and when a mixed field tees-off for the 54-hole competition this morning, a bag of satisfaction will have found settled in her heart.
‘We want to use elite golf to sell Uganda, but we also want to use the various opportunities in Uganda to support the development of golf in the best ways we can. We want a win-win for the sport and the Pearl of Africa,’ she added.
Anena’s team and partners have put up a kitty of $20,000 (Shs79m) which has attracted a litany of players from the SDT circuit. The blend with local professionals is set to create a stellar stage for competition at the par-71 course.
Rugumayo’s run
In Entebbe, local pros warmed up with the MTN Pro Tee Series last week which was won by Ronald Rugumayo. He has won the last five tournaments involving pros including the 21st Uganda Professionals Open at Kitante about a fortnight ago.
Last Friday, Rugumayo sealed a seven-shot victory with a best aggregate total of -16 after 72 holes but he is still hungry. ‘It all goes back to the mindset, once the tournament is done, it’s done. You think ahead,’ he said.
‘You just have to start afresh,’ Rugumayo added. Rugumayo has competed on the Big Easy Tour and he knows the task ahead is huge if he is to make it six in six.
The Ugandan field also includes Rodell Gaita, Abraham Ainamani, in-form Grace Kasango who will aim to keep his cards tidy over three days, Hussein Bagalana, David Kamulindwa who must overcome a mental block since losing his mother about two months ago.
Familiar winners
Big Easy’s top players like South African top quartet of Ruan de Smidt, Ruben Van Der Berg, Dillon Germshuys and Ruan Groenewald are entered while past SDT East Africa leg winners like US-based Ugandan Willy Deus Kitata, record six-time Uganda Pros Open champion Dismas Indiza and his Kenyan compatriots like Daniel Nduva and Greg Snow are in the fray.
The foreign legion also has Jastas ‘Pastor’ Madoya who won the 2019 Entebbe Open and 2021 Uganda Pros Open on the same Entebbe course.
Meanwhile, Malawian Paul Chidale, top irons hitter Tanzanian Nuru Mollel, Nigerians Godwin Okoko and Sunday Olapade, who attempted to win the Pros Open at Kitante two weeks ago, are entered.
A bunch of professional ladies are also included such as eSwatini’s Nobuhle Dlamini, South Africans Ellandri van Heerden and Chante van Zyl, Nigerian Cynthia Maurice and Ugandan pair of Flavia Namakula and Evah Magala all have eyes on the kitty.
African Test. Ugandan professionals face their biggest Pearl of Africa Golf Series examination yet when a strong foreign contingent joins the local field at Entebbe Club today, with the event gaining Sunshine Development Tour and Big Easy Tour status for the first time.
THE TALKING POINT
Bigger Stage. The second PoA edition has moved beyond a purely local professional contest, bringing together players from Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Malawi, eSwatini and the United States on a recognised 54-hole platform. For Uganda’s pros, the three-day event offers a rare opportunity to measure themselves against players competing on Southern Africa’s feeder circuits.