Monday 24 September 2018

Otile not in a hurry to turn pro

The winning moment   📷@Mikensubuga 
➡️Ladies Open ✅ Neema Olomi
➡️Amateur Open ✅ Ronald Otile
➡️Pro-Am ✅ Otile, Alfred Nandwa, Nelson Simwa
➡️Professional Open  26th - 29th September, 2018 (live scores -click)
➡️Entebbe Club

 Entebbe, Uganda |LOUIS JADWONG| Ronald Otile's winning putt on the final day of the Uganda Amateur Golf Open brings backs memories of another nerve-wracking sports moment - not on a golf course - but on a football pitch in Manchester in May 2012.

 No matter how many times you watch the replay, you still get the fear Sergio Aguero will actually miss what was pretty much the very last kick of the 20th Premier League season. 

 With that goal, a nervy Manchester City won their first title in 44 years - their first Premier League triumph. To do this however, Manchester City scored twice in stoppage time in the very last game of the season to secure the three points they needed to make history!

  'Agueroooooooo’ yelled the commentator as the blue side of Manchester rallied to snatch the title from their red neighbors.

Otile, in many ways like Manchester City in their last match that season, had virtually thrown it all away with a 9 on hole 11 on the final day on Saturday at Entebbe Club.

 That score took him from 3 strokes ahead, to 6 behind with just 7 holes to go on the final day of the 77th Uganda Amateur Open in Entebbe on Saturday.

He responded to that with four birdies, including the big one on the last hole. With the birdie on the "Dan Ntale" hole 18, Otile secured what looked an unlikely win hours earlier.

 The result made him only the eighth golfer in the 77-year history of the Uganda golf Open to win three titles. 

 There was no live commentary at Entebbe Golf Club, but circumstance were similar, and we should have had an "Otiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiile as he pumped his fist in the air, Tiger-Wood style."

 Have another look at the video. If you are a fan, you will still fear he might just miss that last putt!






Tooro Club dominates

 The Uganda Open win Saturday, marks the fourth straight year the trophy has been taken by a player from the new kings of Ugandan golf, Tooro Club.

 Sports Journalist Andrew Mwanguhya, in a 2015 report on the Fort Portal club, traced its rise on the wave of a new crop of young golfers. (click for full story)

 "Tooro Golf Club (TGC) promotes aspiring young players every year to artisan members, who do not pay membership fee but help on the course," he revealed.

 Otile, a son of a policeman and woman, was one such player.

 He announced his arrival in 2015 by not only becoming the youngest winner of the Uganda Open at 20, but going on to win the professional event that year.

 Eye on education

 While last year's winner Ronald Rugumayo did not think twice about turning pro after his first win, journalists were still asking Otile, now 23, 'what next?', three years after they first did.

 “I’m not ready for that (professional),” he said in 2015, adding that “But if I do what I have just down now next year or the one after, maybe. But I will have to think about it.”

 Asked on Saturday if his third win means it is time to go pro finally, Otile was again non committal.

 Otile, who's at a golf academy in South Africa, said again, he might consider that next year, or after he joins university in the US as planned in the next few months.

 Having lost both his parent by the time he made his Uganda Open mark, the pursuit of higher education seems the one thing he wants added to his CV.  

 While he's shown a 'Lion Heart' against adversity on the golf course, he is not taking chances with education and looks set to delay the pro decision until he has that degree in his hands. 

 Future bright for Ugandan golf
Among the many admirers of the Toro model is Entebbe Club golf pro Dickson Lagoro who sees a bright future for Ugandan golf.

 "Big Congs to Ronald Otile and Tooro Club. I feel deeply privileged to be a part of Ugandan Golf at the moment," he said at the weekend.

Lagoro has watched local golf dominance shift in the past decade from Sadi Onito's Jinja club to Entebbe then to Tooro and lately, to Lugazi.

 He thinks there are clubs out there ready to emulate Toro and storm the big stage.

 "I feel it is now time for Namulonge to shine...a lot of us took our golf baby steps over there and I suggest we give back. Let us nurture and produce the next champion."

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