Jacinta Njeri went to the Nakuru’s leg of the Safaricom Golf Tour merely to support and cheer her schoolmates. However, the 15-year-old would emerge as one of the superstars of the first big golf tournament to feature both hearing and non-hearing players.
Njeri was born with hearing impairment in a rural town in Mau Narok, known for its agriculture and biting cold. She is a student at the Ngala School for the Deaf in Nakuru.
She was in the group of 10 students selected to be part of the junior leg, though not as a player, for the Safaricom golf tour that sought to break the perception about the sport being for the rich.
But on the course, she showed a natural aptitude for golf, much to the surprise of Shem Orwenyo, the Nakuru Golf Club captain. Two full training sessions later, she was signed up as a participant.
Despite being nervous, her swings, determination, and attention to the game paid off.
She emerged top of the junior section of the Safaricom Golf Tour when it docked at the par 73 Nakuru Golf Club course in early July.
Njeri claimed the girls’ title in the 15 years and above age group after posting a score of 118 gross, beating Tamari Gichuki by one shot.
Njeri is an avid sportsperson who also plays volleyball, netball, athletics and dancing. Walking the greens was quite enjoyable because she “did not have to expend a lot of energy.”
“Golf seemed quite enjoyable from the onset compared to the others. I never imagined being on a podium ” she says.
Playing golf has taught her “focus, respect, and the importance of being honest.”
“Focus is directed towards the tee boxes, greens, and the fairways. I felt quite scared on my first few holes, but as the game continued, it was business as usual,” she says.
The coaches and caddies helped her deal with the stage fright and made her feel like the playing was routine.
Monica Muhoro, a teacher at her school, says Njeri’s unexpected golf success has been hugely inspiring to her fellow students and teachers and students from other schools in the neighbourhood.
“The sky is the limit. Give every child a chance to explore their talent. If you give a child an opportunity, they will achieve their dreams,” she tells parents.
From watching golf on TV to winning at a tournament, Njeri hopes that she can one day earn a living in the new-found sport and the various sporting disciplines she participates in.
Aside from the American golfers she admires on TV, Njeri also draws inspiration from Kenyan deaf golfer Isaac Makokha, who recently won a bronze medal in the 2022 Summer Deaflympics in Brazil.
Since she started playing golf, Njeri pays more attention to the TV when the international tournaments and pro golfers come on.
“My family members were happy and surprised to see the trophy I won, and I am happy that they helped me realise my potential in golf. I’m now thinking of how I can become a better player at national level,” she says.
Njeri’s participation in golf brought to the fore that very few caddies know sign language and the need to have caddies who can sign or, at the very least, understand how to relate with hearing-impaired golfers.
