Gaita fights to retain Entebbe Open title

Rodell Gaita presents a calm figure but when on the golf course, the Ugandan professional is a fighter.

The man from Kilembe Mines Golf Club showed that at par-71 Entebbe Club during the weekend. He needed luck to follow his resilience to successfully win the Stanbic Entebbe Professionals Golf Open.

Gaita wrestled back the 72-hole championship after overcoming a four-shot deficit against overnight leader Kenyan Dismas Indiza before winning a sudden-death play-off after tying with Phillip Kasozi for a best aggregate score of two-over 286.

“Being able to defend a trophy after 365 days, it’s the best feeling,” a delighted Gaita told this paper after winning the biggest share of the Shs40m kitty.

“It was a bit hard, up and down but you know, I scooped out something. I putted right and I committed to my lines,” he said.

The 32-year-old and Kasozi were both tied third behind David Kamulindwa and Indiza, the quartet forming the final day pressure group.

Indiza, who carded a final round of 78 to finish tied sixth with country-mate Eric Ooko, lost his grip after his tee-shot on the par-5 No.7 went left into the woods, carding a bogey.

He then followed it up with a bogey on the par-3 eighth green but the triple-bogey on par-4 Hole No.9 just threw Indiza out of contention.

At the time, Kasozi and Kamulindwa got control of the lead. At seventh green, it was where Gaita, who had already fluffed with bogeys on the par-5 Hole No.1 and par-4 Hole No.3, carded a birdie to cut the deficit on Indiza to two shots.

By the end of Hole No.9, Gaita was ahead of Indiza by two shots. Gaita was level with Kasozi at the end of the round after four more birdies on par-3 Hole No.13 and the par-5s No.11, No.15 and No.18 with final rounds of one-under 71.

Had he not conceded birdies on Holes par-4 No.14 and par-3 No.16, Gaita would have picked his trophy immediately but instead, he and Kasozi went for the three-hole play-off.

At par-3 Hole No.10, Kasozi bogeyed while Gaita had a par and nothing separated them on par-4 No.17 and No.18.

“Indiza’s triple-bogey just gave me belief that maybe I will put it off. I kept pushing,” added Gaita whose four rounds had a combined 17 birdies, 39 pars, 14 bogeys and three double-bogeys, twice on the 17th.

Having turned professional two years ago, Gaita has never failed to make a cut at any event. And that record lives on.

STANBIC ENTEBBE GOLF OPEN

PROFESSIONALS FINAL LEADERBOARD

T1 Rodell Gaita (UGA)                      73 72 71 70 286 +2

T1 Phillip Kasozi (UGA)                    72 68 76 70 286 +2

3 David Kamulindwa (UGA)              72 72 71 72 287 +3

T4 Jastas Madoya (KEN)                   71 74 72 74 291 +7

T4 Abraham Ainamani (UGA)           75 71 79 66 291 +7

T6 Celestine Nsanzuwera (RWA)      76 70 74 72 292 +8

T6 Erick Ooko (KEN)                        76 73 73 70 292 +8

T6 Dismas Indiza (KEN)                    70 74 70 78 292 +8

9 Davis Kato (UGA)                          74 76 70 73 293 +9

T10 Silver Opio (UGA)                      71 76 75 72 294 +10

T10 Ronald Otile                                78 73 73 70 294 +10

Note: Gaita won via a three-hole sudden-death play-off

GROSS AMATEURS FINAL LEADERBOARD

1 Titus Okwong (UGA)                      76 72 73 221 +8

T2 Peter Tumusiime (UGA)                76 72 74 222 +9

T2 Samuel Bazaale (UGA)                 78 71 73 222 +9

T4 Joseph Kasozi (UGA)                    73 75 75 223 +10

T4 Michael Tumusiime (UGA            77 76 70 223 +10

T4 Abdallah Kakooza (UGA)            71 78 74 223 +10

CAST OF ENTEBBE OPEN WINNERS (PROS)

2024: Rodell Gaita (UGA)

2023: Rodell Gaita (UGA)

2019: Jastas Madoya (KEN)