2026 Johnnie Walker Uganda Ladies Open:
- Champion: Hawa Wanyeche (Tanzania) – 77, 77, 74 (228)
- 2nd: Peace Kabasweka (Uganda) – 78, 78, 73 (229)
- 3rd: Keisha Kagoro (Uganda) – 78, 72, 79 (229)
- 4th: Neema Olomi (Tanzania) – 75, 81, 79 (235)
- 5th: Judith Komugisha (Uganda) – 77, 77, 82 (236)
When Hawa Wanyeche made her way to the opening tee on Saturday morning, she knew she has had a mountain to climb.
Four shots adrift of the leader Keisha Kagoro, Wanyeche needed a minor miracle.
She had never won the Johnnie Walker Uganda Open despite numerous trips to Kampala but a massive miracle happened on the 18th, one that allowed her to sneak through unnoticed to the prestigious trophy.
“The game was not easy. I fought and I thank God for this victory” a teary Wanyeche who scored 228 gross in 54 holes sighed in a post-victory interview.
She was one shot better than Kagoro and Peace Kabasweka who tied on 229 gross apiece.
The story of the day was meant to be Kagoro. The teenager, yet to turn 18, was the favourite of a huge gallery but struggled with her putter all day.
A combination of nerves and an overzealousness on the greens cost her on the 6th, where she bogeyed from birdie territory, 11th, 12th and 17th.
Despite monster par scrambles on the 13th and 15th, Kagoro’s putting deserted her for most of the day.
Had she converted the birdie on the 16th after her glorious approach hit the flagstick, the story would have been different.
However, her poorest decision of the day was to attack a tricky flag on the final hole after pulling her tee shot into the trees.
With Kabasweka, with whom she was tied, in the bunker, a safer shot to the green would have sufficed.
But she attempted a Hail Mary from the rough and landed in the rear bunker from where she failed the up-and-down on her first attempt.
If Kagoro is sore, Kabasweka will be seething at how she failed to win the Open from the distance of a gimme.
Kabasweka had done a fabulous job of chasing Kagoro from the front to set up a scintillating finish.
But she bogeyed the 17th and then three-putted inexplicably on the 18th when it appeared like the Open was already in her grasp.
“I had someone whistle three times and it distracted my rhythm,” a crestfallen Kabasweka explained afterwards. With the gallery concentrating on the duel between Kabasweka and Kagoro, not many noticed that Wanyeche was quietly closing in on both.
She birdied the 13th and despite dropping on 16, she held on for pars on 17 and 18 that proved priceless.
It was a cruel finish for the Ugandan pair and the partisan gallery, but that is what the game of golf is. Unpredictable.
Focus will next week switch to the seniors before the main open and finally the professionals.
Other sponsors of the Johnnie Walker Uganda Golf Open are ABSA Bank, Aquafina, Medisell, Finaltus, Case Hospital, MTN, National Council of Sports, NBS, Pearl Marina, Rosefoam, Uganda Airlines, Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Golf Club and R&A.
Additional report by Uganda Golf Union
