The 2024 Johnnie Walker Uganda Open Golf Championship will tee off tomorrow, Thursday August 22, at the Entebbe Club. The tournament will kick off with the Ladies Open and the Seniors’ Open. The ladies’ event will span three rounds, while the seniors’ event will be played over two rounds, on Thursday and Friday.
Over 100 players that are set to participate in the two categories, filled the Entebbe Club greens today (Wednesday, August 21st), for the final practice round ahead of the tee off tomorrow.
The Uganda Golf Union and leadership of both categories, held an official tee-off ceremony in the evening, that culminated into a dinner to celebrate the official tee off of the Johnnie Walker Uganda Open 2024.
Favorite to win the lady’s tourney is last year’s winner Peace Kabasweka, and Tanzanian golfer Iddy Madina, who finished second at the 73rd Johnnie Walker Uganda Ladies Open last October.
Kabasweka, who followed last year’s success with victory at the Entebbe Ladies Open on the same course in March, will storm the greens tomorrow with the aim of retaining her title, and is considered by the home crowd as one of the top contenders for this weekend’s event.
Her other victories in Entebbe this year include a win in the ladies’ group at the I&M Bank Katogo Golf Series in March, among several other podium finishes. Additionally, she triumphed at the Lira Ladies Open in July and at the UGC Captain’s Bell in May.
Madina, on the other hand, will lead a contingent of seven Tanzanian female golfers to Entebbe tomorrow, with an aim to add another major title to her trophy cabinet. Having recently won the Zambia Ladies Open, she is in strong form and poised for success.
Beyond Kabasweka, another local golfer to watch is two-time champion Martha Babirye, who won titles in 2020 and 2022. Her experiences at Entebbe are bittersweet; in 2018, she narrowly missed out on the title when Tanzania’s Neema Olomi, who was not in the final pressure group, unexpectedly claimed the championship.
Melon Kyomugisha, Gloria Mbaguta, Judith Komugisha, Lillian Koowe, and Joyce Kisembo—perennial top performers on the leaderboard, are also some of the local golfers to watch.
For the seniors, dedicated competitive tournaments have been scarce recently, but they have been diligently working at their respective clubs. The official practice round that took place earlier today will help them fine-tune their skills.
Steven Katwiremu, last year’s playoff winner against Godfrey Onyango Matata, will compete against familiar faces from the senior golf veterans.
The Johnnie Walker Senior Open, featuring golfers aged 55 and above, will see both male and female competitors embark on their 36-hole tournament.
Following this week’s action, the main event, the Amateur Open—celebrating its 83rd edition this year, will take place from August 28-31. The Absa Pro-Am is scheduled for September 3, with the professional event concluding the tournament from September 4-6.
Johnnie Walker, the tournament’s title sponsors, have promised golfers an Open experience like no other. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Christine Kyokunda, the Johnnie Walker Brand Manager emphasized that golfers and guests will enjoy a revamped hospitality village, as well as entertaining and engaging 19th hole experiences for each category finale. “We have a lot planned for this year’s Open. We have revamped our hospitality village with an entertainment and vibes package to remember. We shall have whisky mentorship sessions lined up, and we have offers ranging from bottle personalization, as well as amazing gifts for our golf partners and their loved ones. We are all set for tomorrow, and we shall go till the final day of the Open,” she said.
