Overall, Akena played a total of 12 birdies, 45 pars and 15 bogeys at par 71 Entebbe Golf Club throughout the entire tournament.
Reagan Akena, the Lugazi Hills Golf and Country Club member, held the nerve over two days carding three-over-par 287 to claim the Johnnie Walker sponsored 2024 Uganda Golf Amateur Open at Entebbe Golf Club.
At 19, Akena becoming the youngest golfer to win the prestigious title. The previous youngest winners were Stephen Birungi ‘Tiger woods’ who was also 19 (older than Akena by months) when he first won it in 1997 and Ronald Otile who won both Uganda Amateur Open and Uganda Professional Open at 20. The Lugazi Hills based golfer gained attention last year with a hole-in-one at the All Africa Junior Golf Championship last year.
Joseph Reagan Akena emerged as the frontrunner after the third day of the 2024 Johnnie Walker Uganda Amateurs Golf Open and took the lead with a total score of 217 strokes, edging out competition by a single stroke as the tournament entered its final day.
On the final day. Akena kept his composure throughout the play occasionally switching positions with Cwinya-ai. He eventually smiled to victory with a successful half-meter putt on the 18th hole before hundreds of fans after his closest challenger Joseph Cwinya-ai had fumbled.
Overall, Akena played a total of 12 birdies, 45 pars and 15 bogeys at par 71 Entebbe Golf Club throughout the entire tournament.
“My target was to finish in the top three, but after day one I got a call from a friend in the US, who said ‘you guy be serious. This thing can again go back home to Lugazi’,” Akena said in his victory speech.
Godfrey Nsubuga, Akena’s club-mate, who dominated last year’s Uganda Open from start to finish, winning the championship title with a record score of 13-under-par 275 at the Uganda Golf Club, Kampala. Nsubuga is now playing golf in US and has become the first Ugandan to play the US Amateur Open Championship. However, his game didn’t go well this time as he finished sixth with 301 score.
He intimated that his victory was a result of the recent Africa High Performance Training Camp for young golfers hosted at the Uganda Golf Club in Kampala. The junior golfers were facilitated by three coaches from the South Africa Professional Golfers Association through the auspices of the International Golf Federation (R&A).
Michael Balderstone (Program Manager for the R&A Africa High Performance program and PGA Master Professional), Mpho Kelosi (PGA Professional) and Mark Fairbank, a mental coach together with Flavia Namakula (Uganda National Team Head Coach) handled the intense three-training residential camp.
Akena, a member of Uganda National Team and Senior Five student at Juliana High School Lugazi, dedicated his victory to his parents, coaches, fellow players, and members at Lugazi Hills Golf and Country Club.
“When I came here, I knew I would be among the top cream of players and I worked hard for this trophy. I dedicate this title to my parents, coaches, fellow players, and members at Lugazi Hills Golf and Country Club,” said Akena.
Ibrahim Ssemakula and Michael Tumusiime shot 297 and 298 to finish in fourth and fifth positions of the leaderboard respectively.
Others who finished in top 10 were Abdul Kakeeto tying with defending champion, Godfrey Nsubuga and Kenya’s Adel Balala in 6th position at 301 and Ibrahim Bagalana tying with Samuel Bazaale at 303.
Sponsored by Johnnie Walker as title sponsor, Uganda Amateur Open 2024 attracted over 120 players from Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, South Sudan and Rwanda.
Leaderboard (Top 10) and Prize Money
| No. | Name | Score | Cash Prize |
| 1. | Reagan Akena | 287 | 3,800,000 |
| 2. | Joseph Cwinya-ai | 288 | 2,400,000 |
| 3. | Titus Okwong | 291 | 1,700,000 |
| 4. | Ibrahim Ssemakula | 297 | 1,400,000 |
| 5. | Michael Tumusiime | 298 | 1,200,000 |
| T6 | Abdul Kakeeto | 301 | 1,000,000 |
| T6 | Godfrey Nsubuga | 301 | 1,000,000 |
| T6 | Adel Balala | 301 | 1,000,000 |
| T9 | Ibrahim Bagalana | 303 | 970,000 |
| T9 | Samuel Bazaale | 970,000 |
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