Wambui's rise to longest lady hitter at Nakuru Golf Club

It’s not easy to be a long hitter when competing against some of the experienced and refined golfers.

Also, it all depends on how fast a golfer is good on his or her swings when hitting the ball while in training and on official assignments.

“Once a golfer masters that art of faster swings on the course, then chances are high (s)he’ll become successful with the long balls plus the hits that will fairly be accurate all round,” said handicap 14 Eleanor Wambui, one of the long-hitting Nakuru Golf Club lady players.

Last weekend, Wambui won the long-hitting prize during the Crown Paints Golf Series of Championships at the club at an event that attracted over 130 golfers having earlier won a similar prize at the Kecoso Golf Championships at the same venue the previous weekend.

Asked how she does it, Wambui said she is always accurate on her faster swings, a development that has made her to be accurate with her balls in serious competitions.

“Even my caddies know where to position themselves in the course. This is because they know that I’m a long hitter and always know where my balls will land,” she told Nairobian Sports.

“The secret for a golfer to be a long hitter is on how fast one turn his/her swings on hits. This is what turns the power to hit the ball, not the muscle power,” she said.

As a long hitter, Wambui said it has always contributed to eighty per cent of her victories in all the prizes she has won in different championships at the club (Nakuru) and away.

On the possibilities of emerging as an overall winner in crowded fields of different competitions across the country, she said: “It’s not possible when playing against high handicap players and again it’s not impossible”.

”It has not been easy to emerge as an overall winner because of the high handicap difference when facing some seasoned golfers. That doesn’t mean they (high handicap golfers) are not beatable but it takes some time before we can get to be podium finishers against them (seasoned golfers),” she stated.

Despite her ability for good swings, Wambui is equally good on fairways and the lady golfer opines that her swift turns are the driving power that pushes the ball too far.

Nakuru Golf Club Captain Kiprotich Kemboi termed Wambui as a good golfer who has proved to be a long hitter and has equally improved on her drives in the course of play.

“Of late, Eleanor has been playing good golf and is among the long lady hitters of the club whom we (as a club) are proud of,” Kemboi said.

Kemboi thanked golfers who turned out in large numbers for the Crown Paints Series of Championships at the club.

And with her accuracy, Wambui has never lost many balls while in the course and the ones that have gone astray have always been recovered by her caddies.

She identifies Joyce Wanjiru of Kiambu Golf Club as her main rival in long hitting whenever they meet at the par 72 Nakuru Golf Course or elsewhere in different competitions.

Among the men’s long hitters, she identified club mate and off-the-scratch-golfer Luther Kamau as one of the most accomplished long hitting-men-golfers who inspired her to her success.

“Luther is among the accomplished Nakuru Golf Club long hitters and everybody knows and will agree to that having played at different levels,” said Wambui.

In the past, veteran and handicap 6 Njuguna Njoka was one of the long hitting men golfers of the club.

Kenya Golf Union (KGU) Central Rift representative Robert Obondy concurs with Wambui that Kamau (Luther) is one of the best men’s long hitter besides being the best of the club (Nakuru).

And as a long hitter, it has contributed to 80 per cent of her success as a lady winner in different competitions.

In terms of overall wins, she said it’s not easy to compete against seasoned golfers who have been there in the past.

“However, this has not discouraged upcoming golfers from competing against them (seasoned golfers) since we encourage the young golfers that playing golf is a journey before one establishes as an accomplished player,” she said.

For Wambui, it’s a step at a time in the fight for top honours across the country.