Gloria Nanyonga was on Saturday, August 10, 2024, declared the winner of the second quarter of the I&M Bank sponsored Serena 63 Golf Series.
The announcement was made at the 19th hole of the 3rd quarter of the series held at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa, Kigo’s lakeside clubhouse.
The top five scores of each player in the second quarter were used to rank performance in the series.
Nanyonga, playing off handicap 16, emerged the best player with 200 points, making her the first lady golfer to win at the quarterly outings of the series.
Nanyonga, who only started playing golf two years ago, credited her performance to consistent practice sessions on the range, as well as focus on improving her short game.
“I have put in a lot of time to practice my swing on the range. I gained a lot of confidence from the practice and I played very well throughout the second quarter. I am glad that my efforts have paid off, I am extremely happy to be a winner in this prestigious series,” Nanyonga said, adding that she hopes to better her handicap in the following weeks, as well as return good results in the next quarter.
Nanyonga, who was sixth in the first quarter with 108 points, dedicated her victory to David Plenderleith, the defending champion of the series and the winner of the first quarter.
“He introduced me to golf, and most recently, he has been my coach, so I gladly dedicate this win to him,” Nanyonga noted.
Plenderleith emerged the first runner-up, with 196 points, while Henry Kibuuka, with 190 points, finished third in the second quarter of the series, which saw the number of participants rise to 77.
The Saturday event, which was graced by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, also featured a subsidiary category. Jadu Patel (40 points), Sahil Halai (36 points), and Leena Halai (35 points) were the top performers in this category, while Philip Mutebi (39 points) and David Plenderleith (34 points), were named the top two members in the main category on the final day of the second quarter.
Brad Allen and Samson Agamire, who both scored 38 points, were the guest winners. In the side bets, Tiger Lee won the nearest-to-the-pin prize, while Sameer Noorandi claimed the longest drive prize.
I&M Bank Chief Financial Officer, Timothy Musiime, who represented CEO Robin Bairstow, reemphasized the bank’s pride in being part of the Serena 63 Golf Series, as well as their commitment to supporting the growth of the game of golf in Uganda, and across the region.
“At I&M Bank, we are committed to partnering with the golfing fraternity. Golf embodies excellence, friendship, and commitment—values we align with and support here in Uganda and across the region,” Musiime said.
“We are looking forward to the grand finale of the series, because there is a lot in store. I urge all the players to bring their best, as the best is yet to come,” Musiime added.
The overall winners of the Serena 63 Series will be announced at the series grand finale scheduled for November 30th.
To qualify for the main prizes, players must complete a minimum of 26 rounds of 18 holes each.
