Zambian Dominic Musonda evidently did less to maintain grip of the lead before eventually lifting the coveted 85th Johnnie Walker Uganda Amateur Golf Open title at Kitante on Friday.
The handicap +4.0 player may have carded three-over 75 in his final round but it did not stop him from winning the 72-hole stroke-play competition by three shots at Uganda Golf Club (UGC).
He won the title with a best aggregate score of nine-under 279 gross to become the first Zambian winner of this championship in history.
And that’s even though, Musonda had held a six-shot advantage over the rest of the field, thanks to his amazing bogey-free round of eight-under 64 on Day Three on Thursday.
The man from Nkana Golf Club managed to still hold off his best friend Zambian Gilbert Chalwe and claimed the title, which had eluded him a year ago at Lugazi Hills Golf and Country Club.
‘I am feeling great,’ 22-year-old Musonda reacted. ‘Coming back to Uganda and winning this tournament, it feels great.’
Uganda’s best performer was 2025 winner Joseph Cwinyaai who rose from the second pressure group to finish third behind Chalwe on two-over 290 gross, ahead of Joseph Kasozi.
The two-time Open champion Cwinyaai finished with a respectable round of two-under 70 comprising three birdies and a bogey on the last nine holes.
Scratch player Kasozi, had been part of the lead pressure group with the Zambians over 36 holes but he rued his putting, finishing with a three-putt on the par-4 Hole No.18 for a bogey which relegated him to finish fourth on 291.
85TH JW UGANDA AMATEUR GOLF OPEN
FINAL LEADERBOARD
1 Dominic Musonda (ZAM) 72 68 64 75 279 -9
2 Gilbert Chalwe (ZAM) 74 65 71 72 282 -6
3 Joseph Cwinyaai (UGA) 73 78 69 70 290 +2
4 Joseph Kasozi (UGA) 68 72 75 76 291 +3
T5 Lawrence Walakira (UGA) 71 77 76 70 294 +6
T5 Joel Okoth (UGA) 75 73 74 72 294 +6
T5 Musamba Kapoma (ZAM) 73 72 75 74 294 +6
T5 John Musiimenta (UGA) 70 72 77 75 294 +6
T9 Godfrey Kambale (UGA) 76 79 69 72 296 +8
T9 Sande Lulet (UGA) 77 73 73 73 296 +8