Professionals 1. H. Mutaawe 1422. D. Anguyo 1443. A. Kamya 1496. E. Ruterana 150 Emmanuel Ruterana gathered some confidence ahead of this year’s Rwanda Open after a more steady display in the professional category of the just ended Uganda Amateur Open. The golf ace was desperate to get things moving after a wrecked performance in the Uganda Open. The BCR-sponsored golfer shot 150 in 36 holes to jointly tie with Uganda’s Dennis Lagoro at Kampala’s Kitante Golf Course. Uganda’s Henry Mutaawe won the event after returning an overall score of 142. Meanwhile, Zambia’s teenage golfer Mellissa Nawa dominated headlines after beating two-time champion Mary Karano (Kenya) to the title by seven shots. The 16-year old Nawa fired an unmatchable round of one-over par 73 on the final day which included five birdies on holes No.2, 5, 8, 12 and 13. Ruterana admitted recently that his confidence took a battering after a rugged display in the just ended Uganda Open. Throughout the four rounds, 25-year-old failed to come to terms with Kampala’s Kitante Golf Course, despite earlier remarks that it was his favorite course in East Africa. Even after making the cut after round two, the BCR sponsored golfer failed to break into the top ten after returning scores of 76 and 74 in the third and fourth rounds. He finished in 11th spot, 21 shots off the pace.Kenya’s Dismus Ndiza retained the professionals’ title with 277 strokes while James Okello (Kenya)-278 and Uganda’s ace Deo Akope-279 closed in on second and third slots. “It never came together in Uganda. For some reason, I felt I was under a lot of pressure. At times, I found it hard to commit myself to some shots,” he said. “I lacked a bit of commitment. The freedom that I’ve been having with every part of my game, it wasn’t there.” The MTN sponsored professional rookie Jean Baptiste Hakizimana did not even make the cut. Matching into the Open, Ruterana had also endured miserable moments in the Barclays Mbarara Open after only managing a third spot finish behind the Ugandan duo of Dickson Lagoro and Henry Mutaawe. Ends
