Dar lady wins Uganda Open

Uganda Open ladies winner Angel Eaton, 22, poses with the trophies at the Uganda Golf Club in Kampala on Sunday. Eaton grossed 225 to beat defending champion Flavia Namakula by hefty nine shots. (Photo courtesy of Fred Kaweesi of the New Vision)

Dar es salaam Gymkhana Club’s Angel Eaton defied the odds to win Uganda Ladies Open golf title at the Kitante Golf Course in central Kampala on Sunday.

Eaton, whose grand parents Joyce and Pelle Svavar endured a torrid moment to secure bursary for the lady amateur’s long trip to Kampala early last week, displayed maturity in the game to return a nine over par 225 gross.

She becomes the second Tanzanian after Moshi Club’s Sophia Viggo who dictated terms during the 2005 edition at the same venue.

The towering rather slim figured golfer carded three rounds of 54 holes in 73, 75 and 77 to beat country mates Madina Idd and Hawa Wanyeche to the second and third places, respectively.

Eaton shattered Namakula’s third straight Uganda Open title as she added more silverware in her cabinet with a wide smile all the way to Dar es Salaam.

The University of Dar es Salaam’s business graduate, who took a stint in one of the South African golf academies, was confident and dominant throughout the three-day stroke play tournament at the hilly Kitante course, one of the most difficult in East Africa.

“It was really tough winning here. My competitors kept up the pressure but my driving, chipping, and putting was good. My game changed a lot having trained in South Africa,” Eaton stated.

The Tanzanian trio dominated the proceedings despite stiff opposition from home golfer Flavia Namakula who was beaten by nine shots to crash out of the run.

Arusha Gymkhana’s Madina Idd posted a three day scores of 76, 76 and 77 for a total 229 as Wanyeche managed a difficult but remarkable 75, 75 and 79 to beat defending champion Namakula by hefty five shots.

This was the first open tournament to be highly dominated by Tanzanian ladies besides the East African Challenge Golf Trophy they won in 2009.

The Tanzanian team was all smiles inside the Uganda Golf Club on Sunday evening as most of the host players were in somber mood.

While Uganda lost the trophy, this year’s edition of the Ladies Open was dominated by youthful women who broke from the club tradition that restricts ladies to shorts not more two inches above the knees.

“This is an international event where women are free to show some style just like on the women’s tour. But we are not going to do the same in our local tournaments. We will probably get to a level where such style is permissible like in other countries,” Uganda Ladies Golf Union president Jasper Kamukama said.

The Tanzanian golfers are expected home today.

Additional reporting By Douglas Mazune of the New Vision, Kampala.