Boasting of a five-stroke advantage, Elijah Luutu will be the man to watch on the second and final round of the Johnnie Walker Uganda Seniors Golf Open on Saturday.
This follows his immaculate start at Uganda Golf Club (UGC) in Kitante where he set the pace with an opening round of level-par 72 on Friday.
Often out of the country, the Luutu exhibited his marks of experience on the tees and greens with regulation golf calibrated by 13 pars in the entire round.
An expert in wireless telecommunications with experience earned in the United States of America, Luutu actually was two-under for the day after 15 holes.
That’s thanks to two birdies on the ascending par-3 Hole No.6 bordering BMK Hotel and then at the ascending par-5 Hole No.13.
He however got stained at the par-4 Hole No.16 with a double-bogey but his mettle was visibly high. He responded with a birdie on the short par-3 Hole No.17 but again got dented by a bogey at the par-4 Hole No.18.
Luutu is followed by Kenyan Gurbux Singh who carded five-over 77 comprising four bogeys and a double-bogey on the often tough par-4 Hole No.15.
And that’s notwithstanding his birdie on the 13th green. Singh is a shot ahead of Hassan Pirani while Joseph Bagabo is fourth at 80.
In the ladies’ category, defending champion Catherine Pavie is setting the pace with a three-shot lead after shooting 85.
The tournament is organized primarily by the Uganda Senior Golfing Association (USGA) for golfers aged 55 years and above across the country. USGA is led by David Balaka.
JW UGANDA SENIORS GOLF OPEN
DAY ONE LEADERBOARD
1 Elijah Luutu (UGA) 72 E
2 Gurbux Singh (KEN) 77 +5
3 Hassan Pirani (UGA) 78 +6
4 Joseph Bagabo (UGA) 80 +8
T5 William Otieno (UGA) 81 +9
T5 Michael Cleave (UGA) 81 +9
7 David Plenderleith (UGA) 82 +10
8 Tony Kisadha (UGA) 83 +11
9 Godfrey Onyango (UGA) 84 +12
10 Julius Musiimenta (UGA) 85 +13