Overview:
To justify the stiff competition in the 2023 Stanbic Entebbe Golf Pro tournament, 10 players played under par during the opening 18 holes
2023 Stanbic Entebbe Golf Pro Open
Day 1 Leader: Herman Deco Mutebi – 67
T2: Abraham Ainamani – 68
T2: Vincent Araali Byamukama – 68
It handsomely pays off to realize your mistakes and quickly return to the famous drawing board strategy.
This is the same mechanism that Entebbe based professional golfer Herman Deco Mutebi, 24, resorted to after missing the treasured cut at the 2023 Johnnie Walker Uganda Professional open at the par-72 Uganda Golf Club – Kitante in Kampala city.
The days after missing the cut, Mutebi swiftly moved back to the course to polish up his grey patches of the game; with driving, chipping and best of all endless putting.
By the end of the first 18 holes at the 2023 Stanbic Entebbe Golf Pro Open, Mutebi was 4-under par (67 gross) on the par-71 lake side golfing facility in Entebbe.
“The target was to play under on day one and I did it” Mutebi, who is exclusively sponsored by Entebbe’s posh happening hub, Street Club revealed.
On the round, Mutebi, a former football opened up brilliantly with an eye-catching birdie on the 560 yards par-5 hole one whose pin is situated just a few meters from the Marines’ military base in Entebbe.
Par-3 hole two was bogey, before making amends with pars scores on holes 3, 4 and 5.
He returned with another bogey on a par-3 hole, 6, birdied 7 and played level on 8 and 9 for a round of 35.
Less mindful of the refreshments at the half-way mark, Mutebi eagerly crossed over to the par-3 hole 10 where a Toyota Fortuna had been staked for a successful hole-in-one and was level.
He also had pars on 11 and 12, before four birdies in succession on 13, 14, 15 and 16.
The Deo Akope Challenge on the dog-legged par 4-hole 17 was a bogy score but quickly compensated with a birdie on the Danny Nkata drive on par 4-hole 18.
“I played the back nine well and I need to maintain this form for the next three days” Mutebi now set targets as he eyes the lion’s share of the Ug.shs 36,000,000 total kitty.
After round one, two golfers; Abraham Ainamani and Vincent “Araali” Byamukama are one shot behind the leader Mutebi having both played 3-under.
Four pros; Marvin Kibirige, Canary Kabise, Tadeo Rodell Gaita and James Koto are all tied on 2-under 69.
Zimbabwean Liberty Gumisa, towering Ugandan Denis Anguyo and the ever-green Phillip Kasozi are tied on 1-under 70 gross mark.
To justify the stiff competition in the tournament, the duo of Ronald Otile (US based Ugandan) and Silver Opio are both level par (71).
Day two will be played on Thursday, 2nd November 2023 as the golfers strive to make the treasured cut.
Day 1 Leaderboard (Top 18 positions):
