Joseph Cwinya-ai put together a near-flawless two-day performance before holding his nerve in the final round to secure victory at the Entebbe leg of the 2026 Pearl of Africa Golf Series amateur (gross) category.
Competing over 54 holes at the lakeside course, Cwinya-ai separated himself from a 50-man elite field with a blistering start that ultimately proved decisive. He opened with a 68 (-3), then raised the bar even higher in round two with a 67 (-4), taking firm control of the leaderboard heading into the final day.
With a comfortable cushion, the reigning Uganda Amateur Open champion didn’t need to chase the game in the last round. A closing 75 (+4) was enough to take him to a total of 210 (-3), sealing the title and the top prize of UGX 1.5 million from the UGX 5 million purse.
His path to victory was built on consistency and control. Over three rounds, he recorded 13 birdies and 32 pars, limiting mistakes to just 8 bogeys and a single double bogey, numbers that reflect his dominance across most of the tournament.
Behind him, Abdullah Kakooza finished second on 215 after steady rounds of 72, 72, and 71, but was never quite able to close the gap created in the opening rounds.
Third place saw a tie between Reagan Joseph Akena and Juma Abiti, both ending on 217, while Joseph Kasozi and Andrew Ssekibejja shared fifth place on 218.
Cwinya-ai’s victory was less about a dramatic final round charge and more about early control. By the time the rest of the field tried to mount a push, he had already done the heavy lifting—turning the final day into a test of composure rather than a fight for survival.
“I’m happy with the win. The competition was strong, and it was a well-organized tournament,” he said after lifting the trophy.
How Cwinya-ai won the Pearl of Africa Golf Series amateur event
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