By DANIELLA APIYO AND AMANDA DAMARIS

The Great Rift Valley Golf Resort’s Justus Madoya who has suddenly found his winning formula, shot five under par 66 in the third round of the 2021 Uganda Open golf championship, to take a five shots lead as the event heads for the final round on Saturday at the Entebbe Golf Club course.

Madoya, who started the season badly and missed the cut in two events, displayed excellent form, thanks to a newly acquired Ping Putter which he said was doing marvellous work for him.

“Am putting very well and also hitting them straight from the tees as I was able to correct the hooks and drawing’’ said Madoya who played with the two leading Zimbabwean pros Robson Chinhoi and Visitor Mapwanya.

“This course has been very friendly to me and I enjoy playing here a lot’’ added Madoya who also doubles up as a Pastor.

He played a bogey free front nine which included a birdie at the seventh, then eagled the 15^th after making birdies at the 12^th , 14^th 16^th and 17^th with a home green birdie putt lipping over, to finish with a par and his brilliant round which saw him jump to the top with a three rounds total of 14 under par 199.

“My game has changed a lot and now I am able to avoid the draws I use to hit while a new Ping Putter which I got a couple of weeks ago, has also made me improve my putting’’ said Madoya who will now be leading the last flight of Dismas Indiza and Robson Chinhoi in the final round on Saturday.

“I love playing here and it looks like history is repeating itself as last time I played here and won the Entebbe Open, I was playing with Dismas Indiza’’ added Madoya who is five shots clear ahead of  Indiza.

Meanwhile the day was an awful day for Chinhoi who bogeyed the second, a double at the par five- seventh, and another bogey at the ninth against only two birdies at the first and fourth. He played the back nine rather conservatively, picking pars all the way to 15th where he made an easy birdie but threw that away at the stroke index one-17th where he dropped a shot. Thereafter he missed a birdie at the 18th to close the day on two over par 73  to drop to third place with a total of eight under par 205, just a shot behind Indiza who three putted the 10th, 16th and 17th having also dropped a shot at the fourth.

“ I made few bad putts today particularly at the back nine, and I am happy that I was able to move closer to the top’’said Indiza who birdied the first three holes in the opening nine, then birdied the 11^th, 12^th, 13^th and 14^th and closed the back nine and the day in style by picking up a five footer eagle at the 18^th for his 66 and a total of nine under par 204.

Ronald Rugumayo was the best Ugandan on seven under par 206 also after a 66 for the day. He is tying fourth with Zimbabwe’s Visitor Mapwanya who shot one under par 70 for the day to also finish on 206.

The fourth and final round of the Ugsh 100 million event where the winner will take home Ugsh 22.5 Million tees off 8.20am followed by a subsidiary event for the amateurs.

 

The Leader board:

Justus Madoya(Ken) 65, 68, 66= 199

Dismas Indiza (Ken) 69, 69, 66= 204

Robson Chinhoi (Zim) 68, 64, 73= 205

Ronald Rugumayo 72, 68, 66= 206

Visitor Mapwanya (Zim) 67, 69, 70= 207

Deo Akope 72, 68, 71= 211

Philip Kasozi 69, 70, 72= 211

Joshua Seale 74, 67, 71= 212

Willy Kitata 74, 69, 70= 213

 

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