The Entebbe Four-Ball Better Ball Match Play series is easily one of the most popular events on every golf calendar.
Last Saturday's round was supposed to be the opening knockout of this year's series and the stage was set for what was going to be a tremendous day and marvelous 19th hole.
But the skies had other ideas altogether. A huge downpour that lasted the entire day made play untenable, and forced the postponement of various matches. The day's subsidiary round was cancelled.
"I have played golf in Entebbe for 12 years but have never witnessed anything like this," said Dr Twinemanzi Tumubweine, who is partnering Robbins Mwehaire. "Usually, it rains at the club but stops at 9 am and doesn't fall again. What happened today is something that I have not seen in my time as a golfer at this club."
Of the 32 Match Play contests, only seven were played to their final conclusion. Lillian Koowe and Joyce Kisembo eliminated Ruth Mugisha and Berna Musanabera while Dr Michael Bironse and Kevin Ninyesiga made short work of Michael Koima and Ivan Arinaitwe.
A missed birdie putt from Allan Muhereza denied him and his partner Peter Magona the opportunity to push their match with Sam Kacungira and Vincent Katutsi into a sudden death playoff. Kacungira and Katutsi advanced 1up.
Meanwhile, Peace Kabsweka and Harriet Kitaka braved the watery course to dump out Alex Nkuyahaga and Jude Ochieng on hole 17.
Kabasweka's pairing with Kitaka is expected to be one of the most formidable partnerships of the season. Despite Kabas- weka playing off 0, she is an accomplished golfer while Kitaka is a solid single handicap.
Elsewhere, Dinah Ongol's Match Play season ended on hole 12 after going down to Mark Namanya and Hillary Ndungutse. Without her partner Jimmy Adiga who is attending to his sick father, Ongol soldiered on but ultimately went down 7&6.
The remaining matches were rescheduled and must be concluded before the end of the week. The draw for the second round was, nonetheless, conducted and it increasingly appears that brothers Milton Edimu and Raymond Ekwamu are on a collision path.
