Humble Akena walks to Uganda Open title

Teenager Akena produced some splendid consistency to patiently hold off 2021 winner Joseph Cwinyaai and beat the field of 116 men by one shot to the 83rd Johnnie Walker Uganda Amateur Golf Open title at Entebbe Club.

The 19-year-old delivered an unpredictable toast of perfection with a closing round of one-under 70 for the best aggregate score of three-over 287 gross after Cwinyaai had missed a putt for par on the crowded green of the par-5 Hole No.18.  

“I don’t know how to explain but I feel so great, it’s like a surprise to me,” a humbled Akena reacted. His emotions had been intact for four days even when the Open in some moments, seemed to fade out his hands at the par-71 course.

He cut a majestic figure throughout and only oozed a smile after ululations for his final putt for par exuded celebrations by his confidants from Lugazi Hills Golf & Country Club. One of them included 2023 winner Godfrey Nsubuga.

“Ekikopo kizeeyo mu bikajjo,” Nsubuga said amid jubilations, which is loosely translated as ‘the trophy is back to the sugarcanes (Lugazi plantations).”

Akena was lifted up in the skies as decibels went high, his nicknames ‘Obote’ and ‘Businessman’ being chanted loud before he received his trophy from Uganda Golf Club (UGU) president Dr. Jackson Were in company of Uganda Breweries Limited’s marketing manager Robert Nsibirwa and scotch and reserve brand manager Christine Kyokunda.

“I don’t have much to say but I want to thank all of you. I thank you all for the good words that you told me that I can make it,” said Akena. “My target was to make the top three. But I got a call from Edrine (Okwong). He is in the US. He told me to be serious; that this thing can come to us. 

“I would like to thank Mehta Group for the sponsorship and access to the Lugazi course. I would like to thank R&A for the equipment I am using.”

“Most of my classmates don’t know that I play golf. I trusted my game but the things that went right, I was driving, chipping and putting well but I was not striking the irons well,” said Akena who offers divinity, entrepreneurship and art.

Yet a quick roll-back to Saturday afternoon, Akena, who practiced at high performance camp in Johannesburg, South Africa back in May, was nearly buried three holes prior to the finish. But his calm demeanor steadied his ship all through.

Cwinyaai led the Open halfway stage on Thursday by a shot. By close of ‘Moving Day’ Friday, Akena produced a back nine of one-under for level-par 71 to lead by a shot when Cwinyaai carded 73.

“I did not expect to lead,” Akena stated. He opened up Saturday with a birdie on par-5 Hole No.1 to lead by two strokes but it was wiped out when Akena bogeyed par-3 Hole No.2 and then Cwinyaai birdied the par-4 Hole No.3 green.

Cwinyaai then assumed a one-shot advantage with a birdie on par-3 Hole No.6 but Akena’s birdie on par-5 Hole No.7 restored parity again.

At par-4 Hole No.9, Akena led after his par was matched by Cwinyaai’s bogey. The latter birdied par-4 Hole No.13 to level matters again but Akena was clinical again with a birdie on the par-4 13th green.

It could have become a two-shot lead on the par-4 Hole No.14 when Cwinyaai went to the trees on the left but a stellar 4ft putter saved him for a par. That seemed to have swung some momentum his way.

Cwinyaai then opened his book of experience wide, his second shot on par-5 No.15 chiseling through the gallery to the left before he crisply chipped over bunker to putt for birdie thereby levelling.

On the par-3 Hole No.16, Cwinyaai’s putter got hotter when birdied again from about 3ft to lead facing the daunting par-4 17th.

However, Cwinyaai will forever be haunted by that ‘Deo Akope Challenge’ hole. He had carded double bogey on Day Two and Day Three but it didn’t change on Saturday.

His driver shot off the tee stuck in the trees on the left and he ended up poor decision making, cursing a hat-trick of double bogeys. “+6, c'mon,” he spoke to himself. Akena had bogeyed to level again.

And on the 18th, Cwinyaai struck his tee-shot poorly to meager distance. Akena chipped his third shot but it couldn’t stop at the white flag, rolling down before he putted back up on the fourth shot.

That allowed Cwinyaai to chip and set up a final putt for par as well and had both successfully made pars; it was down to a sudden-death play-off.

However, Cwinyaai seemed to be over confident. He lost concentration in the moment when he began exchanging banter with some of his fans in the gallery, missing the simple putt and finishing with a bogey and Akena won with his calm par at 6:14pm.

“I messed up some of my shots,” a deflated Cwinyaai conceded defeat. The top 10 amateurs shared Shs15m from Absa Bank and the top five will compete in the 19th Uganda Professionals Open beginning on Wednesday.

83RD JOHNNIE WALKER UGANDA AMATEUR GOLF OPEN

2024 FINAL LEADERBOARD

1 Reagan Akena (UGA)                     73 73 71 70 287 +3

2 Joseph Cwinyaai (UGA)                  72 73 73 70 288 +4

3 Titus Okwong (UGA)                      73 77 68 73 291 +7

4 Ibrahim Ssemakula (UGA)            78 71 75 73 297 +13

5 Michael Tumusiime (UGA)           74 74 75 75 298 +14

T6 Abdul Kakeeto (UGA)                  70 78 74 79 301 +17

T6 Godfrey Nsubuga (UGA)             82 72 72 75 301 +17

T6 Adel Balala (KEN)                        69 82 79 71 301 +17

T9 Ibrahim Bagalana (UGA)              81 76 74 72 303 +19

T9 Samuel Bazaale (UGA)                 73 76 74 80 303 +19

AKENA AT A GLANCE

Full Name: Reagan Joseph Akena

Date of birth: April 20, 2005

Handicap: +1 

Club: Lugazi Hills Golf & Country Club

Started playing: 2017

Kit: Titleist

Lowest Score: -9 at Lugazi (par-70)

Coach: Flavia Namakula 

Type of phone: iPhone X

Best Course: Royal Johannesburg 

Best City: Toyota, Japan

Favourite player: Godfrey Nsubuga

Favourite player: Tommy Fleetwood

Yardage: driver - 280 yards, 3-iron - 260 yards 

Major Trophies: 2024 Tororo Open, 2024 Mbale Open, 2024 Uganda Amateur Open 

CAST OF UGANDA AMATEUR OPEN WINNERS
2024: Reagan Akena (UGA)

2023: Godfrey Nsubuga (UGA)

2022: Andrew Ssekibejja (UGA)

2021: Joseph Cwinyaai (UGA)

2020: John Lejirma (KEN)

2019: Daniel Nduva (KEN)

2018: Ronald Otile (UGA)

2017: Ronald Rugumayo (UGA)

2016: Ronald Otile (UGA)

2015: Ronald Otile (UGA)

2014: Willy Deus Kitata (UGA)

2013: Peter Ssendawula (UGA)

2012: Phillip Kasozi (UGA)

2011: Rogers Byaruhanga (UGA)

2010: Brian Mwesigwa (UGA)

2009: Peter Ssendawula (UGA)

2008: George Olayo (UGA)

2007: Nicholas Rokoine (KEN)

2006: Amos Kamya (UGA)

2005: Charles Yokwe (UGA)