At the age of 27, Naomi Angela Wafula has become a great source of inspiration to Kenyan women in golf by being the first-ever female golfer to join the Professional Golfers of Kenya (PGK).
Besides being the second overall female professional golfer in Kenya, Naomi is redefining thmen’s golf in East Africa and aiming to establish herself abroad.
Already, she has made a significant milestone in her golfing career. Currently, she is in Rwanda for her first international, where she is showcasing her talent on the abal level.
With her radiant talent on the international trip, she commemorates a moment of pride for the sport of golf in Kenya. “I want to participate in foreign competitions such as the Ladies European Tour and Q-School”, she says with great resolve to face the best players worldwide.
In August, during the second phase of the Sunshine Development Tour – East Africa Swing in Mombasa, she made her debut as a professional in the wome fiewomen’sBeing the only female professional, she was easily noticed amongst the male professionals.
The tour held at Nyali Golf & Country Club (August 4-6) and Diamonds Leisure (August 9-11) is a qualifying event for official world golf rankings, an important step for Olympic qualification and the shortest way to the Sunshine Tour in South Africa.
“I plan to play as many tours as possible to qualify for either the Sunshine Tour or Q-School in Europe,” she says.
Naomi first played golf at the age of 6 in Kitale, where her Aunt Rose Naliaka introduced her to the sport. Naomi was brought up by her mother who was a sea,mstress, she had a ro;gh time even going to, the extent of selling chips on Kitale streets to make ends meet. An important moment in her life was when a betting company official sponsored her enabling her to get back to Nairobi.
In 2022, she commenced her training at Vipingo Ridge where she was given free access to world-class facilities and coaching with PGA Pro David Marsh.
Her tough training that intraining, which orkout five days a week has culmia week,ihistory-making moment last year when she became the first Kenyan woman to make the cut at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open, a Ladies European Tour event.
Despite challenges like high travel costs and sponsorships, Naomi is not despondent. She is quoted as saying, “I still believe that if I persist in performing well, sponsors will definitely come to me.” Enjoying the travel and meeting new people has been a part of what keeps her going.
Her advice to young golfers espec,iagolfers, especially girls,wwould positive and not lose sight of the goal. “Do the best with what you have, be grateful for everything, and take baby steps,” she said.
Naomi Wafula’s determination and vision to be the best are nurturing a new pool of female golfers in Kenya who are now making their mark on the global golfing stage.