Two horse race at Uganda Open after Cwinya-ai finishes Day 2 in fine form

It’s squeaky bum time at the Open with Cwinya-ai turning the screw on Musonda

Lugazi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & UGU MEDIA | Through 14 holes, he trailed by four strokes. Dominic Musonda had already carded a two-under 69 to go -8 for the Championship, and the man they call ‘Okada’ needed to make a response lest his championship hopes risked fading away fast. But no one fights back like the 2021 Johnnie Walker Uganda Open champion.

Joseph Cwinya-ai promptly birdied the par-3 15th, reeled off another birdie on the par-5 16th and closed the round Thursday with a final birdie on the last hole to bring himself to within one stroke of the leader. “I am hungry,” he said after his round. “I want to win it for my fans out there. It helps that tomorrow, I will be facing him (Musonda) and we shall go man on man.”

His day started with a three-putt on the first hole that cost him a bogey before he stabilized and played a superb round that could even have gone lower. “My putter went cold; I feel I could have played a 64 today. But let us see what tomorrow brings. People know me for being good when I am chasing. Even the Open I won in Entebbe, I started the final day chasing (John) Lejirma.”

Musonda meanwhile bemoaned his putter on a day when he played a two-under 69. “My swing was on point compared to yesterday (Wednesday) but my struggles were on the greens,” the 22-year-old noted. “If I can just manage to play the next two days how I played today, then I should be fine.”

Cwinya-ai and Musonda have effectively turned the Uganda Open into a two-horse race. Thirdplaced Abdul Kakeeto is eight shots off the pace after he carded a one-over 72 with Elton Thembo and Ibrahim Ssemakula tied for fourth. Both are nine strokes behind Musonda.

Former champions Andrew Ssekibejja and Joseph Reagan Akena have endured struggles of a varying nature and neither is in contention. The former has played rounds of 72 and 77 while the latter, a pre-tournament favourite, has carded 77 and 73.

Friday’s pressure group at the par-71 Lugazi Hills Golf & Country Club tees off at midday with
Cwinya-ai and Musonda being joined by Kakeeto. All eyes will be on the showdown between Musonda and Cwinya-ai especially since it is now almost a given that one of them will emerge as the 2025 Johnnie Walker Uganda Open champion tomorrow.

The 84th edition of the Uganda Golf Open has, besides Johnnie Walker, been supported by Isuzu, NBS Sport, MAC East Africa, Medisell, MTN Momo, Uganda Tourism Board, Aquafina, ABSA Bank and Lugazi Hills Golf & Country Club.

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SOURCE: UGU MEDIA