Elijah Luutu arrived at Uganda Golf Club with modest ambitions. By Sunday morning (August, 23), with the Johnnie Walker Uganda Seniors Open hanging in the balance, he had a championship title to add to his collection of golfing accolades.
Luutu survived a late charge from Joseph Bagabo to win the men’s title, while Catherine Pavie successfully defended the Senior Ladies crown, as the Johnnie Walker Uganda Seniors Open finally reached its climax after a weather-delayed finish.
The final day was never supposed to be Sunday. The tournament was scheduled to finish on Saturday, but heavy rain and poor visibility forced play to be called off abruptly.
When the leading groups returned on Sunday morning, Luutu’s advantage had been reduced to the sort of margin that offered no room for comfort.
His opening round had suggested a rather different story.
Luutu shot a level-par 72 on Friday. It was the kind of start that gives a leader some breathing space. But Bagabo spent Saturday steadily taking it away, getting to within two shots before play was suspended.
Then there was Hassan Pirani.
Pirani had moved himself into the conversation and began Sunday’s resumption just one shot behind Luutu. His challenge, however, lasted only briefly. An out-of-bounds on the 16th effectively ended his hopes and left Bagabo as Luutu’s principal challenger.
Bagabo was not going to let the title go easily.
A par from Luutu on the 17th was followed by a birdie from Bagabo, bringing the two golfers level as they headed to the final hole.
That left Luutu with the sort of 18th hole that can make a seemingly comfortable tournament feel very different.
Bagabo’s tee shot missed the fairway. Luutu found his.
From the left side of the rough, Bagabo tried to shape his approach towards the green. The ball went out of bounds, leaving Luutu in control. The eventual double-bogey for Bagabo was academic once Luutu had safely made par.
“I didn’t feel the pressure,” Luutu said.
It was perhaps the most telling line of his championship.
The title was not something Luutu had arrived expecting to win. In fact, his own assessment of the tournament before it began was considerably less ambitious.
“It was quite a surprise to me. I came simply to play the tournament. I wasn’t coming to win it.”
His level-par opening round changed the equation, although Luutu said he was careful not to get distracted by what was happening elsewhere on the leaderboard.
“On day one, I didn’t even look at the scores. On day two it was almost the same thing. I just stuck to the plan and continued playing.”
That approach proved particularly useful when the weather intervened. Rather than allow the stoppage and the changing conditions to alter his game, Luutu returned on Sunday with the same plan.
“The rain didn’t affect me. I stayed cool and came to play my game.”
It was enough.
For Luutu, the significance of the victory goes beyond the trophy. He has collected accolades in the game over the years, but this was his first major championship.
If Luutu was the surprise winner, Pavie was the familiar name at the top of the Senior Ladies leaderboard.
The Jinja-based golfer retained the title after holding off Azuba in both rounds.
Azuba had been in pursuit after the opening day and finished the final round with the better score, carding 91, one stroke better than Pavie’s 92.
But Pavie had enough in hand. PHer 92 took her to a gross total of 177, two shots clear of Azuba, allowing her to retain the championship she won last year in Lugazi.
It was a more controlled finish from Pavie, who knew she did not necessarily have to win the final round to win the tournament.
For Johnnie Walker, the Seniors Open was another opportunity to be part of a championship that continues to bring experienced golfers back to the course and into competition.
“It has been good to see the seniors keep walking and keep competing. There has been some really good golf over the last few days, and we are happy to be part of a championship that gives these players the opportunity to come out, compete and enjoy the game,” Johnnie Walker East Africa Brand Manager- Christine Kyokunda said.
Meanwhile, a day before the finale, the 19th Hole experience went ahead as planned, with songstress Winnie Nwagi headlining the entertainment.
The evening also featured a gifting experience, where revellers could purchase Johnnie Walker bottles and have their names engraved on them, adding a personalised touch to the celebration.
Attention now turns to the main event of the Johnnie Walker Uganda Open- the Amateur Open scheduled for August 26-29.
