Ruth Mugisha cannot wait to represent Uganda at the 2024 Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup Amateur Series after topping the Ugandan leg qualifier played at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa on Saturday.
Playing off handicap 24, Mugisha returned 46 Stableford points, beating the 80 golfers who competed for the sole slot in an event that began in 2013.
She beat her nearest challengers, Said Kirarira (43pts) and Daniel Kangu (40pts) to the top prize. She also claimed the nearest to the pin gong, walking away with two accolades on the night.
Turkish Ambassador to Uganda Ak Fatih (left) hands over a trophy to Ruth Mugisha (2nd left) alongside Turkish Airlines Accounting Manager Ahmet Uysa (2nd right) and General Manager-Uganda and Rwanda Ali Ozdemir the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa. Photo by Michael Nsubuga
Entebbe Club’s Mugisha will compete in the World Cup alongside other golfers from 67 countries.
“It is an interesting development because I’m a weekend golfer or you can call me a tourist golfer, I only turn up on Saturdays. Two weeks ago I was a guest winner here with a net score of 68 but I have now had four back-to-back wins; two from Entebbe Club and two from here,” Mugisha noted.
“I don’t know what is the air for me that is taking me on this winning streak but it is a good feeling, the fact that I like travelling, and I’m the overall winner; I’m excited,” Mugisha stated.
“This is the biggest win of my career since I started in 2009 and it is very significant because today at Entebbe Club, we were celebrating International Women’s Golf Day which is all about celebrating and empowering women who play golf and learning the skills that last a lifetime,”
She said she was now going to work on lowering her handicap, which she hopes to bring down by the time of the Uganda Open.
Ruth Mugisha (left) receives her prizes from Turkish Ambassador to Uganda Ak Fatih (center) and hands Turkish Airlines’s General Manager-Uganda and Rwanda Ali Ozdemir at the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa, June 8, 2024. Photo by Michael Nsubuga
“I’m now going to hit the range because I have to represent well and that comes with a bit of pressure because I would want to give it my best and so I now have to put in some hours of practice,” Mugisha stated.
The prizes that await her include participation in the Grand Final of the Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup, a Round Trip Business Class flight to Antalya, Türkiye with Turkish Airlines plus 5 nights’ accommodation.
“This global amateur golf series is now played in more countries worldwide than any other corporate amateur event of its kind, mirroring the truly global reach of Turkish Airlines,” Turkish Ambassador to Uganda, Ak Fatih, who presided over the event said.
“The 2024 qualifying Series will feature events in 118 destinations across 67 countries worldwide, providing a unique opportunity for participants to network with senior business people in a relaxed environment, whilst enjoying a round of golf at one of the world’s most prestigious golf courses,” Fatih stated.
This year’s Turkish Airlines World Golf Cup is proudly sponsored by Gloria Hotels & Resorts and Ruck & Maul.
Top players
Ruth Mugisha 46pts
Said Kirarira 43pts
Daniel Kangu 40pts
Gross winner
Andrew Opio 78
Nearest to the pin
Ruth Mugisha
Nick Synman