Towards dusk on Saturday evening, Ronald Rugumayo redefined himself in the eyes of the Ugandan golfing fraternity at Entebbe Club.
If winning the 21st Uganda Professionals Golf Open at Uganda Golf Club (UGC) in Kitante had not been enough two weeks ago, then Rugumayo rubber-stamped he’s the country hottest pro golf property over the weekend.
The man from Tooro land didn’t require to have a tidy closing round but two-under 69 was just enough to give him the best aggregate total of 13-under 200 to win 2026’s Pearl of Africa (POA) Golf Series second leg.
Rugumayo’s stand-out display ensured he finished as the winner of the biggest cut off the $20000 (Shs78m) kitty of the event, which had doubled on the Sunshine Development Tour (SDT) and Betway Big Easy Tour radars, all routes to the Sunshine Tour.
New status
Surely, that victory put Rugumayo in a whole new zone. For as long memory serves, no pro golfer in this country has ever won five tournaments in a row but, Rugumayo etched his name to that slice of history on Saturday.
‘It’s always a great feeling to win, most especially when in front of people who support you,’ said Rugumayo moments after he did his last putt for a par of the 54-hole competition.
As a sizable gallery cheered him on at the 18th green, Rugumayo placed his hand on chest and honoured it back with the other hand waving back. ‘Musuuga, Musuuga,’ they cheekily lauded the man born and bred in Tooro Kingdom’s capital Fort Portal.
‘I seem not to find the right words I can use to express that but it’s amazing,’ he stated. A week prior, Rugumayo had followed up his Uganda Open victory with a seven-shot win at -16 overall during the MTN Pro Tee Series played at Entebbe.
Fresh mindset
‘After winning, the hardest part is to shut down each and everything that happened and you move into another week with a fresh mindset. That is one thing I can say I have really done very well,’ he described his last six weeks.
During that period, he had also topped the pros’ kitties at the Watoto Golf and UGC Ladies Open tournaments at Kitante. And last week, Rugumayo set the tone for another win by producing an opening round of four-under 67. Though, he trailed a trio of Emma Ogwang, Willy Deus Kitata and Nigerian Godwin Okoko by a shot.
Game change – 64
On Day Two, Rugumayo engaged new gears by firing a round of seven-under 64 comprising six birdies, an eagle on the par-5 Hole No.15 and one bogey on par-3 Hole No.10.
By going that high, Rugumayo set the pace and top the leaderboard by three shots over Okoko and South African Slade Pickering heading into the final round.
And on Saturday, the pressure group with Okoko and Pickering seemed to largely play the role of bridesmaid to Rugumayo. Why?
Despite making bogeys at the par-3 Holes No.8 and No.10, Rugumayo’s birdies at the par-5s Hole No.1 and No.7, par-4s No.5 and No.9 aided him to a rather consistent five-shot cushion for the greater spells over Okoko and Pickering.
The latter pairing, especially Okoko, was largely undone by finishing with so many putts just not sinking in. Yet, Rugumayo feels he could have already coasted clear. ‘My putting was cold,’ he explained.
Pickering of Pecanwood Golf Estate, carded a closing round of one-under 70 consisting of five bogeys and six bogeys and actually ended up finishing four at an aggregate of -8 overall.
Pickering had been relegated to battling for second place with man in orange Okoko, who finished on 70 too, with three birdies and two bogeys. And Rugumayo appeared to have won it with a sweet birdie that sent the gallery roaring through the pines at the tricky par-4 Hole No.14.
Decisive hole
‘Without a doubt, I won it on No.14, Godwin had a good chip in. I was in a very tricky position but the way I responded gave me the advantage,’ said Rugumayo, who later bogeyed the par-4 Hole No.17 but it mattered less.
Meanwhile, Malawian Paul Chidale in the third pressure group ahead, had risen to three shots within Rugumayo’s reach after his surge calibrated by eagle, par, birdie, birdie and eagle between Holes No.11 and No.15.
Chidale had birdied the fifth green and two bogeys on the par-3s No.10 and No.16 saw him finish on five-under 66 for the day and ended up tied for second place with Okoko on an aggregate nine-under 204.
Lucky attire
However, Rugumayo could have had his lucky charm though. Ideally, Rugumayo should have put on white pants, green shirt, green cap with a grey belt.
‘I ironed them but my mind changed to the same clothes he wore when he won his first Uganda Open title as a professional,’ Rugumayo explained his dress code. The magic in the light blue clothes augured with his superstitions and he is a few good millions richer.
Rugumayo will however be tasked to match the form abroad when he competes in the Rwanda Open at Kigali Golf Resort and Villas and this Sunshine Tour event has a money purse of $135,000 (Shs531m). He then has work to do in Nigeria, India and South Africa in the coming weeks.
RUGUMAYO’S RUN OF SUCCESSIVE WINS
· Pearl Of Africa Series, Entebbe
· MTN Pro Tee Series, Entebbe
· Uganda Professionals Golf Open, Kitante
· Pro-Am Uganda Golf Open, Kitante
· Watoto Golf Pro Tourney, Kitante
· UGC Ladies Golf Open Pro Tourney, Kitante
RUGUMAYO AT A GLANCE
Full Names: Ronald Rugumayo
Born: December 28, 1992
Age: 33
Birth Place: Fort Portal, Uganda
Parents: Bernadette Kajumba and John Rwabwogo (RIP)
Started Golf: 2002
National Team: 2010-18 (9 years)
World Ranking: 2110th
FINAL LEADERBOARD
1 Ronald Rugumayo (UGA) 67 64 69 200 -13
T2 Paul Adams (MAW) 71 67 66 204 -9
T2 Godwin Okoko (NGR) 66 68 70 204 -9
T4 Matt Millar (ENG) 68 69 68 205 -8
T4 Slade Pickering (RSA) 68 67 70 205 -8
6 Musiwalo Nethunzwi (RSA) 74 64 68 206 -7
T7 Abraham Ainamani (UGA) 70 71 70 211 -2
T7 David Kamulindwa (UGA) 70 70 71 211 -2
T7 Greg Snow (KEN) 70 66 75 211 -2
T7 Thabiso Ngcobo (RSA) 69 71 71 211 – 2
T7 Ruan de Smidt (RSA) 67 72 72 211 -2
T7 Willy Deus Kitata (UGA) 66 71 74 211 -2