Once more, the Union selected players well into their retirement, players with absolutely no future in golf at the expense of junior golfers.
The KGU is charged with the development of golf in Kenya, its failure has allowed unprepared amateurs to join the professional ranks.
After the failure of Team Kenya at the 2015 Barclays Kenya Open, I was hoping that the Kenya Golf Union (KGU) would heed our collective calls as the golfing fraternity to take junior golf development more seriously.
However, when the Union announced their team to the 2015 Africa Golf Championships (Zone VI), to be held at the Kitante Golf Club in Kampala, all such hopes were dashed.
Once more, the Union selected players well into their retirement, players with absolutely no future in golf at the expense of junior golfers.
Many successful people, nations and organisations use failure as a springboard into the future, learning from their mistakes to form the thinking for the next challenge.
Colin Powel said: “Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.”
You see, the KGU is to blame for the mediocre performance at the Kenya Open last week. The KGU is charged with the development of golf in Kenya, its failure has allowed unprepared amateurs to join the professional ranks.
The low standard of our professional golfers is a direct result of the complete breakdown in golf development at the junior ranks and the continued selection of pensioners in the Kenya amateur national team which is definitely not a step in the right direction.
In my not so humble opinion, success at the Barclays Kenya Open and beyond will only come if the KGU puts into place a deliberate efforts to promote junior golf.
Golf must be played in primary schools, slots into the Kenya national amateur team and Barclays Kenya Open must be the preserve of junior golfers. And where possible, the young budding junior girls must also be considered.
There must be a ruthless and deliberate strategy to ensure that junior golfers are given a platform to learn from their mistakes.
Nyali Golf and Country Club’s Mathew Wahome had a hard time at the 2015 Barclays Kenya Open, he was nervous and he failed to play to his potential and missed the CUT by a mile— but he was probably the biggest winner at the championship. The experience he gained is bound to propel him to a higher golfing standard.
In 1999, Ian Poulter played and missed the CUT at the Kenya Open, he never returned. Instead, he built on this loss and went on to become one of the best golfers in the world.
In 2013, the KGU included three juniors in the team, Mohit Mediratta, Abraham Galgalo and John Mburu. In 2014, they included Daniel Nduva, Wahome, Adel Balala and Mohit Mediratta.
The team that flew out this week includes only one junior, the 17-year-old Wahome. So, perhaps in their defence, the Union has been properly guided in the past, but not this week. Sending a team that includes have-been amateur golfers with truly no future in golf is a waste of opportunity and resources.
Beat Kenya
Just like in the past, the 2015 Zone VI Championship will be won by South Africa, you can take that to the bank; their team of 18 and 21-year-olds have never played at the Zone VI before, yet I can bet you that they will beat Kenya’s bag of rickety bones who have played Zone VI for centuries.
Kenya is likely to finish fourth or fifth after Zimbabwe, Namibia and perhaps even Uganda.
The SA team includes Tristen Strydom and Jovan Rebula are 18-years-old, just one year older than young Wahome, Jason Smith, Aubrey Beckley and Jade Buitendag are 21 years old, Teaghan Gauche is 23 years old whilst Matthew Spacey and Hendrikus Stoop are 24 years old.
Smith is the only player who was in the 2014 SA team to this Championship.
Remember these SA names, you will next see them at the Barclays Kenya Open shortly, winning. Remember the Kenyan players also, you will be competing against them at a Monthly Mug near you.
Kenya will not become a regional or continental powerhouse unless the Union invests in junior golfers. Junior golfers must be exposed to as much international and local competition as possible, it is exactly what South Africa does.
Paramahansa Yogananda, a renowned yogi said : “The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.”
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Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
