Kitata, Okoko and Ogwang share lead after round one of Pearl of Africa Golf Series

Uganda’s Willys Kitata, Nigeria’s Godwin Okoko and Uganda’s Emma Ogwang shared the lead after the opening round of the Pearl of Africa Golf Series at Entebbe Golf Club on Wednesday, each carding 5-under-par 66.

Kitata put together a flawless round, making birdies on the first, seventh, ninth, 12th and 13th holes to set the early pace.

“I’m happy with the way I played today. I started well and managed to stay focused throughout the round. The birdies came at the right time, and I was able to avoid dropping any shots. There are still two rounds to go, so the focus is to keep playing my game and stay consistent,” said Kitata.

Okoko also went bogey-free, picking up birdies on the first, 10th, 14th, 15th and 18th holes to join Kitata at the top of the leaderboard.

“It was a good round for me. I kept things simple, stayed patient and took advantage of the opportunities when they came. Finishing with a birdie on 18 was a good way to end the day. I’ll take the positives from today and prepare for the next round,” said Okoko.

Ogwang matched the pair’s five-under score despite dropping a shot on the 15th. He responded with six birdies on the first, 11th, 13th, 14th, 16th and 18th holes to remain firmly in contention.

The trio holds a one-shot lead over Uganda’s Ronald Rugumayo and South Africa’s Ruan de Smidt, who both returned 4-under-par 67s.

Rugumayo, fresh from winning the Uganda Professional Golf Open and the second leg of the MTN Pro Tee Series at Entebbe, carded an eagle on the 11th and birdies on the first, fourth, seventh, 13th and 18th holes.

De Smidt also enjoyed a strong opening round, making birdies on the first, seventh, 10th, 11th and 16th holes, with his only blemish coming on the eighth.

Meanwhile, Nyali Golf & Country Club’s Daniel Nduva was the best-placed Kenyan, tied for tenth, after carding a two-under-par 69, while Muthaiga Golf Club’s Greg Snow returned a one-under-par 70 to sit one shot further back.

The Pearl of Africa Golf Series is the sixth leg of the Sunshine Development Tour East Africa Swing and marks the Tour’s first event in Uganda. The tournament has attracted a field of players from across Africa and beyond, with Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points on offer.

The second round tees off on Friday, with the field set to be reduced to the top 30 players and ties for the final two rounds on Saturday. The tournament carries a US$20,000 (approximately KES 2.5 million) prize purse.