Before the fairways, scorecards and professional tours, Ronald Rugumayo’s golf equipment was far less sophisticated.
Growing up in Tooro, Western Uganda, an avocado seed could pass for a golf ball, while cassava sticks served as clubs. It was childhood ingenuity born out of a fascination with a game he would eventually turn into a profession.
On Saturday (August 8) evening at Uganda Golf Club, Kitante, Rugumayo completed another chapter in that journey, winning the third edition of the Watoto Professionals Golf Tournament with a commanding 10-under 278 over 72 holes.
The victory earned him the biggest share of the Shs 20 million professionals’ prize purse. But Rugumayo did not keep all the winnings. The professionals donated Shs 5 million to Watoto’s Hope on the Green campaign, which seeks to raise Shs 450 million to provide at least 1,000 vulnerable women with business starter kits worth Shs 450,000 each.
For a golfer who began with hardly any resources, there was something fitting about a victory that ended with his golf helping to change other lives. Rugumayo produced 16 birdies and an eagle across four rounds, including five birdies in the final round, to finish three strokes ahead of Rodel Gaita, who carded 281.
Phillip Kasozi was third on 283, while Grace Kasango, who had remained within touching distance after the second round, finished fourth. The triumph was also Rugumayo’s second consecutive professional victory at Kitante in the space of a week, following his success in the Uganda Golf Club Ladies Professionals’ Open the previous week.
But the trophies tell only part of the story. Born in Kabarole district, Rugumayo first fell in love with golf at his home course in Tooro. Limited resources eventually pushed him towards Kampala, where he found a way into the game as a caddie.
Carrying other golfers’ bags became his classroom. He studied the game, sharpened his swing and gradually moved from carrying clubs to competing with them. His international breakthrough came in 2024 at the Magical Kenya Open, where he became the first Ugandan to make the cut at a DP World Tour event.
A decisive birdie on the 18th hole secured his place in the weekend rounds. He also became the first Ugandan to record a hole-in-one at the Magical Kenya Open. By 2025, Rugumayo had joined the prestigious Sunshine Tour, headquartered in South Africa.
He now competes on the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour and is ranked 1,685th in the Official World Golf Ranking. With the Uganda Open looming, his recent form offers reason for optimism.
The boy, who once fashioned golf balls from avocado seeds, now arrives at Uganda’s biggest stage with better equipment, greater experience and a game that is increasingly difficult to ignore.