Joseph Cwinyaai acknowledges he has indeed lived long in amateur golf. The truth is that he has hit that ceiling by winning almost every piece of silverware available at every club or annually.
In September, he toasted to his second title at the Uganda Amateur Open in Lugazi. A month later, Cwinyaai still bosses the stage after he rose from four shots behind to win the amateurs quest with a nine-shot victory at the Stanbic Entebbe Open.
‘I am not form but still never the less, I am the most experienced amateur currently,’ he said after powering to victory over the 54-hole stroke-play championship with a best aggregate score of three-under 210 gross.
Sensing there is a new breed of players emerging, Cwinyaai may delay to decide on when to turn professional but at least, he has set the bar relatively high for self.
‘I set a standard for myself that every Ugandan amateur event that’s a 54-hole tournament, I have to finish under par at least that’s my target always,’ he said.
Some fresh talent has come through and beaten him, case in point Reagan Joseph Akena on the last hole of the 2024 Uganda Open in Entebbe.
But, Cwinyaai has often stood firm enroute to his second Entebbe Open title in three years and in great part, his experience got him a psychological edge over Day One leader John Musiimenta.
‘I feel good and happy, all smiles since the victory. As usual playing regulation golf and making the putts count and God the almighty by my side,’ Cwinyaai described his three rounds.
He trailed Musiimenta by four strokes when the latter fired an opening round of three-under 68 on Day One. Cwinyaai then fired two-under 69 to assume a one-shot lead as Musiimenta had scored 74.
In the final round, Cwinyaai carded 69 again comprising five birdies on Holes par-3s No.2, No.6 and No.12, par-4 No.5 and par-5 No.11 and whereas he made a double-bogey on par-4 Hole No.9, Musiimenta’s card wasn’t tidier.
‘My irons worked so well that I was striking them well. On No.9, it was just bad decision making right from the tee-box up to the green at No.10, it was a one-off bad shot from iron play but I responded positively with back-to-back birdies,’ stated Cwinyaai.
Musiimenta finished on 77 for the day and could only settle for second played on six-over 219 gross, with that capitulation engineered by five bogeys and despite a sweet eagle on the 11th green, Musiimenta struck a quintuple bogey on par-4 Hole No.13.
Cwinyaai’s clock in the amateur ranks is definitely winding and as he makes up his mind, the Sunshine Development Tour events next door in Kenya could meanwhile keep him busy.
2025 STANBIC ENTEBBE OPEN
AMATEURS FINAL LEADERBOARD
1 Joseph Cwinyaai 72 69 69 210 -3
2 John Musiimenta 68 74 77 219 +6
T3 Michael Tumusiime 73 75 73 221 +8
T3 Abdallah Kakooza 76 74 71 221 +8
T5 Peter Mayende 71 78 74 223 +10
T5 Joseph Kasozi 74 70 79 223 +10
T5 Ibrahim Bagalana 77 77 69 223 +10
T5 Charles L. Mulyanga 74 73 76 223 +10
T5 Derrick Musana 72 78 73 223 +10
T10 Pius Ochieng 77 74 73 224 +11
T10 Titus Okwong 76 77 71 224 +11
T10 Joseph R. Akena 71 77 76 224 +11
ENTEBBE OPEN
CAST OF WINNERS (AMATEURS)
2025: Joseph Cwinyaai
2024: Titus Okwong
2023: Joseph Cwinyaai