Babirye collapse hands Madina long-awaited Open title

For long, the was in overnight leader three-time champion Martha Babirye’s hands and then Day One leader Tanzanian Hawa Wanyeche but they both crumbled in unexplainable fashion to hand Iddy Madina her first-ever title in the Open history at the par-71 course.

Tanzanian Madina’s experience came to the fore as she held her nerve amid the drama in the pressure group, thereby winning the Open by two shots with an aggregate score of 228 gross.   

“I really feel good and happy about it,” Madina soaked in the moment after producing a closing round of three-over 74. She had only emerged champion on the last green after playing 54 holes over three days.

As dusk began to gain grip on the Entebbe canopies, Wanyeche led by a stroke with Madina second after both carded pars on the treacherous par-4 Hole No.17.

But Wanyeche, who had approached at the back of a white flag in front a sizable gallery on with three shots, made a horrible triple-bogey on the par-5 18th green and therein, Madina wrapped up her round with a par to emerge victory.

And that capped a perfect fortnight for the Arusha Gymkhana Club who also won the Uganda Golf Club (UGC) Ladies Open seven days prior.

“These two weeks were easy on me. I didn’t think much about the game. My plan was to come here and enjoy,” Madina remarked after receiving her trophy from Uganda Breweries Limited’s marketing manager Robert Nsibirwa and scotch and reserve brand manager Christine Kyokunda in company of Uganda Ladies Golf Union (ULGU) Doreen Mwesigye.

“The key thing was to focus on my game. I tried my best. I feel sorry for her (Wanyeche) on the last hole,” Madina went on.

Wanyeche had been strong enough to walk with Madina to both podiums at the 18th green and later during the grand prize-giving ceremony to chief guest gender minister Betty Amongi for her prizes.

Madina first played the Uganda Open in 2009 and she had to wait for 15 years to quench her thirst. In between, Madina was beaten to glory many times, sometimes by a whisker.

She came second to Kabasweka at UGC last October and she has had several top-five placings only for victory to elude her. But, 2024 has been incredible for her. Madina won at Kitante the weekend prior, the Zambia Ladies Open in Lusaka back in June and now the Uganda Open.

“I cannot tell. I was just saying to myself ‘sink your putt and walk away’,” Madina reacted to Wanyeche’s melting. “That’s God’s plan. This is my sweetest win ever. It is my year and I am positive about it.”

“It was just not my day,” stated Wanyeche. Yet prior, the Open was in Babirye’s hands. She assumed a two-shot lead after Day Two runner-up and 2018 winner Neema Olomi withered early.

Madina had moved into second place but Babirye led by two strokes when she birdied par-4 Hole No.5 and got a par on the short par-3 Hole No.6 while Madina had corresponding par and bogey.  

Babirye’s lead grew to three shots when Madina was penalized with two shots by tournament officials for playing Olomi’s ball on the second shot while facing the par-5 Hole No.11.

“I didn’t feel good,” Madina reacted to the penalty. She would finish her round with just a birdie on the par-4 Hole No.9.

She ended up with a double-bogey while Babirye had got a bogey but Wanyeche’s birdie on the par-4 Hole No.13 green moved within a shot of Babirye.    

Babirye then got blown away with a lost ball on the second shot on the par-5 Hole No.15, finishing with a double-bogey. “From Hole No.9, my neck was a bit stiff. I couldn’t do much with my irons,” Babirye said. Majority of her iron shots thereafter would only go the left of fairways.  

“I am happy to repent Uganda as my country, I am really happy with myself,” she stated, adding that her priority caddie Robert Ssenteza from UGC suffered an accident at the start of the week.

On the par-3 No.16, she had a feeble tee-shot, finishing with a bogey and on the 17th tee-box to green, Babirye got a triple-bogey which blew her out of the conversation on the 18th.

The Open had entries from Ghana, Zambia, Japan, Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda.

74TH JOHNNIE WALKER UGANDA LADIES GOLF OPEN

FINAL LEADERBOARD

1 Iddy Madina (TAZ)                          78 76 74 228 + 15

2 Hawa Wanyeche (TAZ)                   74 80 76 230 + 17

T3 Neema Olomi (TAZ)                     76 77 79 232 + 19

T3 Martha Babirye (UGA)                 75 77 80 232 + 19

5 Aalaa Riyaz Somji (TAZ)                79 83 76 238 + 25

6 Resty Nalutaaya (UGA)                  80 78 82 240 + 27

7 Vicky Elias (TAZ)                           79 82 80 241 + 28

8 Gloria Mbaguta (UGA)                   83 80 80 243 + 30

T9 Meron Kyomugisha (UGA)          79 84 81 244 + 31

T9 Judith Komugisha (UGA)             80 76 88 244 + 31

UGANDA LADIES OPEN

CAST OF CHAMPIONS

2024: Iddy Madina (TAZ)

2023: Peace Kabasweka (UGA)

2022: Martha Babirye (UGA)

2021: Irene Nakalembe (UGA)

2020: Martha Babirye (UGA)

2019: Martha Babirye (UGA)

2018: Neema Olomi (TAZ)

2017: Angel Eaton (TAZ)

2016: Flavia Namakula (UGA)

2015: Flavia Namakula (UGA)

2014: Flavia Namakula (UGA)

2013: Angel Eaton (TAZ)

2012: Angel Eaton (TAN)

2011: Flavia Namakula (UGA)

2010: Flavia Namakula (UGA)

2009: Jasper Kamukama (UGA)

2008: Melissa Nawa (ZAM)

2007: Mary Karano (KEN)

2006: Mary Karano (KEN)

2005: Sophie Viggo (TAZ)

2004: Rose Naliaka (KEN)

2003: Esther Okullo (UGA)

MARGIN OF VICTORY

2024: Madina won by 2 strokes

2023: Kabasweka won by 1 stroke

2022: Babirye won by 5 strokes

2021: Nakalembe won by 3 strokes

2020: Babirye won by 2 strokes

2019: Babirye won by 1 stroke

2018: Olomi won by 2 strokes

2017: Eaton won by 2 strokes

2016: Namakula won by 6 strokes

2015: Namakula won by 6 strokes

2014: Namakula won by 12 strokes

2013: Eaton won by 8 strokes

2012: Eaton won by 5 strokes

2011: Namakula won by 5 strokes

2010: Namakula won by a 1 stroke

2009: Kamukama edged Karano in a sudden death play-off