Lady golfer Wafula shelves pro dream

Former Kenya Ladies golf Champion Naomi Wafula is down in Mombasa with the Safari Tour and the youngster has a modest and lofty target of making the cut at Nyali Open that tees off on January 30, 2021.

Her first participation in the Magical Kenya Open qualifying Tour was back in October 2020 when she played at the third leg held in Sigona, finishing 23rd in a mixed field of 24 men and women that made the weekend cut. She is hoping to carry the same form in Nyali and keep pace with male players.

While making the cut looks too modest for an aspiring pro golfer, doing it in a field comprising majority men makes it a lofty and nearly impossible feat.

“My best round at Nyali, over the years, has been one over par. I have been practicing hard, working on my game as a whole as well as my confidence on the course and I am positive I will return good scores. Nyali is a challenging course but I am targeting level par after the four days,” said Wafula who plays at Golf Park when in Nairobi.

The 23-year old had purposed to turn professional in 2020 but has since put that on hold, without losing sight of her resolve, to concentrate on playing in the Safari Tour and get her game better. 

“Playing professional golf is my ultimate goal but right now I am focused on working on improving while playing in the Tour. 2020 did not allow me to turn professional but nothing is lost. I cannot gain professional status through Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK) since they are not responsible for ladies’ golf so I am planning to play tournaments elsewhere that will be my entry point to pro golfing,” Wafula expressed.

A former Kenya ladies’ champion, Wafula started playing at the age of six. Through the Rose Naliaka Foundation, she went on to become a high-achieving golfer at a young age.

She joined Kenya’s national team at the age of 12, the youngest call-up ever. Her achievements kept on piling as, at the age of 14, she was named the most promising sportswoman of the year at the prestigious Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) in 2011.

To bag the SOYA award, she beat the women’s hammer throw record holder Linda Oseso and Olympics and Commonwealth 1500m champion Faith Chepngetich who came in second and third respectively at the 2011 awards. Vihiga Queens’ forward Topista Situma and Faith Bwana had made the nomination list too. 

In 2012, Wafula represented Kenya at the All-Africa Challenge in Botswana where she won the juniors trophy. She won the Junior Girl of the Year between 2012 and 214 to crown years of being at the top of her game as a junior.

She has won the Ladies Coast Open twice in 2016 and 2018, finished second at the Emirates Ladies Open in 2019, and was the best-placed Kenyan in the 2019 Ladies European Tour event, despite failing to make cut. 

Achievements

2010- Youngest golfer to feature in the women’s national team at the age of 12

2011- Awarded most promising sportswoman of the year by SOYA

2012- All Africa Challenge Trophy Junior Championship in Botswana

2012-2014- Junior girl golfer of the year

August 2016- Overall winner at the Ladies Coast Open in Nyali

August 2018- Overall winner at the Ladies Coast Open in Vipingo and Nyali

2019- Emirates Ladies Open –Dubai – Second Overall

2019 December – Best placed Kenyan in the Ladies European Tour event in Vipingo

2020, Jan – Safari Tour pro-AM Lady winner

2020, Feb – Sigona Ladies Open winner

2020, October- First lady player to make cut in the Safari Tour