Tough outing for Uganda at the Africa Amateur Golf Championship
Uganda was represented by nine golfers, including two women, Peace Kabasweka and Meron Kyomugisha.
Cwinyaai the best ranked Ugandan was the best in South Africa. Photo by Michael Nsubuga
Ugandan top amateur golfer Joseph Cwinyaai produced the best score from Uganda's contingent of seven men as the Africa Amateur Golf Championship ended at the Royal Johannesburg Golf Course on Saturday.
The national team captain fired an overall 4-over 292 in 72 holes to finish 17th overall out of the 46 golfers who made the cut from a field of 72 who competed in the prestigious R&A-sponsored event, attracting top amateurs from across the tournament.
Uganda was represented by nine golfers, including two women, Peace Kabasweka and Meron Kyomugisha. The rest were Joseph Reagan Akena, Joseph Kasozi, Titus Okwong, Abdallah Kakooza, Elton Thembo, and Lawrence Walakira. Selection was based on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) as of October 29, 2025.
The four-day stroke-play event had a cut after 36 holes. The women’s field consisted of 21 competitors in a 54-hole contest with no cut. Before the weekend event, Cwinyaa was ranked 207th among amateurs and still is.
The other Ugandans who made the cut included Joseph Akena, who finished 40th overall after scoring 22-over 310 and Abdallah Kakooza, who played 32-over 320. Akena and Kakooza are currently ranked 491st and 942nd in the world. Elton Thembo, Joseph Kasozi, Lawrence Walakira, and Titus Okwong, who are currently ranked 1844th, 995th, 1062nd, and 1893rd, respectively, missed the cut.
In the ladies' division, Kabasweka finished 12th overall after carding 25-over 241, while Kyomugisha finished 14th with 251, two strokes ahead of Tanzanian Hussein Madina. South African Jack Buchanan dominated the field to cruise to a six-shot victory in the third edition of the event.
The 21-year-old tamed the venue’s famed East Course with a 21-under-par total of 267 to top the leaderboard ahead of Ivan Verster, who also finished runner-up at Leopard Creek two years ago, Charl Barnard and JL ‘Dewan’ de Bruin, who smashed the championship low round record with a magnificent 12-under-par 60.
All three finished tied for second on a 15-under-par total of 273. Another South African, Lisa Coetzer, was triumphant in the Africa Amateur Women's Invitational, winning by two strokes over Steyn Lourenda.