Magic in Kenya

“Golf is a very good game,” says Roger Sali, a 28-year-old Ugandan and the main subject of the PGA Tour documentary, Sali’s Story. “It has changed my life a lot and I believe it can change many people’s lives.” 

This, more than anything else, was a sentiment felt by golf fans around the world who watched Sali’s fellow countryman, Ronald Rugumayo, this week. Uganda consistently ranks among the poorest countries in the world, has few golf courses and fewer golf professionals. While Dutchman Darius Van Driel captured his maiden win at the DP World Tour’s Magical Kenya Open, Rugumayo made African golf history.

The entrance to Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi, host of the Magical Kenya Open, says “Home of Golf” on a giant white golf ball serving as the club’s welcome sign. Anthony Bourdain said of Kenya, “Shit runs deep here – meaning, as best scientists can tell, it all started for us in this neighborhood.” To leave your mark here means something. 

Rugumayo stood over a slippery 10-footer on his final hole of the second round. He was one shot outside the cutline and his weekend hopes came down to this putt. No golfer from Uganda had ever achieved what Rugumayo was on the verge of.

The claw grip Rugumayo used to hold his Odyssey putter produced a roll starting fractionally right of the hole, and turning ever so slightly; perhaps not enough. As the ball was within inches of the hole, Rugumayo crouched into a squat position and as the ball took one final revolution, Rugumayo’s hands came together on the grip as if he were saying a prayer. The ball fell in the right edge and the crowd erupted for the 31-year-old. Rugumayo became the first player from Uganda to ever make a cut on the DP World Tour. It was a triumphant moment. Magical even. 

“Wow, this was the only chance I had to break history,” Rugumayo says. “I mean, to be honest with you I was really feeling nervous. I was really feeling pressure.”

This is Rugumayo’s fourth trip to the Kenya Open. His first came in 2017 after he won the Uganda Open as an amateur, and he made a hole-in-one at last year’s event. This year, Rugumayo earned his way into the event by excelling on the Safari Tour, accumulating enough points in the six-event series to gain one of two exemptions for non-Kenyans. 

The joy and relief on Rugumayo’s face when his putt dropped lit up social media. It was an achievement golf fans needed – a unifying moment to celebrate. Rugumayo’s social media consists of posts about equity, gratitude, and inspiring the next generation. A thrilling fan video was posted later of Rugumayo’s friends watching the putt drop from behind the ropes. Their booming celebration came from a deep place, a place that has longed for success. 

“One thing I like about pressure is when pressure comes, that means you are playing for something good,” says Rugumayo.

DP World Tour member and Arizona State graduate, Nicolo Galletti, shot 8-under par finishing 11th. Galletti has been performing consistently this year, Monday qualifying into the Waste Management Open and making the cut. Galletti crossed paths with Rugumayo at Muthaiga over the weekend 

“I saw him yesterday, actually, and gave him a little fist bump and said congrats on making the cut. Pretty cool for him and all the people of Uganda, and Africa really.”

The narrow fairways and small greens at Muthaiga GC placed an emphasis on straight driving and a tidy short game, which Galletti considers the strengths of his game. Because he finished 17th at the Final Stage of DPWT Q-school, Galletti has limited status and needed a top-10 to secure his next start. A few minor mistakes proved costly, as he needed to save one more shot to earn a start at next week’s SDC Championship in South Africa. He compared the experience of being in Nairobi to some of the countries he visited while playing PGA Tour LatinoAmerica last season – fast-paced, dizzying, and memorable. Galletti hopes to have more of these experiences on the DPWT soon.

Rugumayo shot even par with four birdies and four bogeys to move up six spots on Saturday, but closed with +2, 73 on Sunday, earning €3,463.86 – nearly half an average annual salary in Uganda. 

It isn’t the finish that Rugumayo had hoped for, but his efforts gave an entire country – and much of the golf world – something to cheer about. It reminded us of the magic of the game. 

“For everyone who’s out there who has a dream, please, don't give up on yourself,” says Rugumayo. “Believe in yourself. Give it all you can.”

What will Ugandan children think when they hear Rugumayo’s message? How might it alter their futures? 

Golf is indeed a very good game. 

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