Cwinyaai wins the Pearl of Africa Golf Series' Entebbe leg

Joseph Cwinyaai won his first Pearl of Africa Golf Series (POA) title at the Entebbe Club on Good Friday, finishing three-under 210 over 54 holes.

 Strong performances in the first two rounds on Wednesday and Thursday, including ten birdies and a combined 7-under, secured his lead.

Although he scored a 4-over 75 in the final round, with four bogeys, one double bogey and only two birdies, Cwinyaai won by five strokes, earning sh1.5m, the largest share of the sh5m prize pool.

Abdullah Kakooza placed second with sh1m, while Reagan Akena and Juma Abiti tied for third, each receiving sh700,000. 

Joseph Kasozi and Andrew Ssekibejja shared fifth place, earning sh500,000 each. Cwinyaai has set ambitious goals, aiming to win all his upcoming events with under-par scores, including the POA Kitante and Lugazi tournaments. 

“My current goal is to win every event with under-par scores over three or more rounds. In Uganda, consistently playing under par increases your chances of success. The POA series motivates me, especially since it has added three events to the Union calendar after a period with few tournaments. This is a significant milestone for Ugandan golf, benefiting both amateurs and professionals. I commend the POA management and committee for their efforts,” Cwinyaai said. 

“We look forward to even more improvements in the upcoming series, including a possible increase in prize money, as has been done for the professionals. Greater competition is beneficial, and participation in POA events continues to grow. I appreciate the POA management for their initiative, as no one could have executed this better. Kudos to them. 

“We also thank the sponsors, including MTN, Exim Bank, and others, for their support. Their contributions provide golfers with valuable opportunities to showcase our talents.” Reflecting on his recent experience, he said, “The experience I picked from the African Amateur championship in South Africa is also adding a little bit to the better performance in this tournament. So, I've got to say that for any tournament in Uganda, it's all my fault to lose it.” 

He said he puts in a lot of time in training at home at the Uganda Golf Club. He goes to the range and plays many rounds to try to improve his mistakes. “Where I go wrong, I come back on the drawing board and correct the mistakes. That's why I'm doing better and better in most of the tournaments.

Final Leaderboard amateurs

Joseph Cwinyaai 68 67 75 210

Abdullah Kakooza 72 72 71 215

Reagan Joseph Akena 77 71 69 217

Juma Abiti 78 68 71 217

Joseph Kasozi 73 73 72 218

Andrew Ssekibejja 73 70 75 218