Uganda’s boys’ junior golf team made a steady and encouraging start at the All Africa Junior Team Championship in Nairobi, while the girls faced an uphill task on a challenging opening day at Windsor Golf & Country Club.
The boys returned a combined score of 230 to sit fourth overall, just 18 strokes behind leaders South Africa. Leading the charge was Antony Otukei, who carded an impressive one-over 73. He was supported by Peter Mayende (78) and Shaka Kariisa (79), with Rugumambaju JP adding an 81 to round off the team’s effort.
Despite the solid start, Kariisa admitted there is room for improvement heading into day two. He noted that fatigue affected his closing holes but expressed optimism about bouncing back. He emphasized the need to maintain stamina and focus on the tight but playable Windsor course.
South Africa set the early pace in both categories, topping the boys’ standings with 212 and dominating the girls’ leaderboard with 140. Kenya sits second in both divisions, posting 220 in the boys’ competition and 151 in the girls’.
Uganda’s girls team, however, struggled to keep pace and currently lies sixth with a total of 167. Racheal Natukunda and Keisha Kagoro led the scoring with rounds of 83 and 84 respectively, while Elizabeth Kawalya posted 96. The team trails South Africa by 27 strokes after the opening round.
