Naom Wafula
Naom Angella Wafula, more commonly known as Naomi Wafula (born c. 1999) is a Kenyan amateur golfer. Wafula is known for being the first Kenyan golfer to make the cut in a Ladies European Tour event, and is the first woman to make the cut on the Safari Tour. In 2024, she became the first woman to win the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship.
Biography
[edit]Wafula was born in Kitale, the daughter of a single mother. At three years old, Wafula was adopted by her aunt, Kenyan professional golfer, Rose Naliaka, after her mother Rose Nanjala Titus could not afford to care for her.[1] Wafula moved to Nairobi, where she would follow her aunt to training and picked up the sport at six years old.[2] She was inspired by watching Naliaka play.[3]
In Nairobi, Wafula distinguished herself as a player early. In 2011 she became the youngest Kenyan woman to make the Ladies National golf team, at age 13.[4] She would be part of the winning team contesting the Gilbertson and Page Trophy.[5] That year, she was named the "Most Promising Sports Personality of the Year" in the Women's category at the Safaricom Sports Personality of the Year Awards.[6]
In 2013 at age 15, Wafula won several top events, including the KLGU Chairman’s Cup, the KLGU Amateur Strokeplay, Limuru Ladies Open, Sigona Ladies Open and the Kenya Amateur Ladies Matchplay.[7] She would be named the Kenya Ladies Golf Union's Player of the Year.[7] She additionally led the Kenyan women's team at the Ladies' Coast Open Championship.[8] That year, she finished third at the Kenya Ladies Open.[8] She In 2014, she was invited to participate at the U.S. Kids Golf Teen World Championships in Pinehurst, North Carolina,[9] but had to withdraw over lack of sponsorship.[10]
In 2016, Wafula returned to her mother's home village of Kitale and started a small food business.[1] There, she supported her golf training by "cooking and selling chips in my village".[11] She continued to play golf and looked for sponsors. In 2018, Wafula was part of the winning team of the 2018 Kenya Open Ladies Strokeplay event.[12]
In 2019, Wafula played in her first event on the Ladies European Tour, the Magical Kenya Ladies Open. In 2020 at age 22, Wafula made history becoming the first woman golfer to make the cut on the Safari Tour at Sigona Golf Club.[13] She was in eighth place in the event after day 2.[14] That year, she was named Kenya's top female junior amateur player.[15] In 2021, she was named the Kenya Ladies Golf Union's 2021 Golfer of the Year.[16]
In 2022, Wafula won the Karen Ladies Open Tournament.[16] Later that year, she was invited by the Ladies European Tour to play in the Amundi German Masters competition in Berlin.[11] Wafula missed the cut by six shots, but distinguished herself in the competition by scoring lower than some of the professional players on the tour.[11] She finished the event in 102nd position.[17]
In 2023, Wafula played in the Magical Kenya Ladies Open and became the first Kenyan to make the cut in a Ladies European Tour event.[18][19] She finished the event in 56th position.[18] That year, Wafula was invited once again to play in the Amundi German Masters competition.[20] Wafula would place 113th in the event. That summer she would play in several Ladies European Tour events in Europe, including Sweden's Capio Ogon Trophy, the LETAS Links Series in England and the Smorum Ladies Open in Denmark. In November, she became the first woman to win the Kenya Amateur Golf Championship title, winning in dramatic fashion in a sudden death playoff.[21][22]
In 2024, Wafula again played in the Magical Kenya Ladies Open held at her home club, Vipingo Ridge.[23][24][25] Later that year, Wafula won the Kenya Amateur Match Play Championship title.[21][26] That December, Wafula was part of the Kenyan ladies golf team to be awarded bronze at the All Africa Challenge Trophy event in Morocco.[27] Wafula came in seventh in the individual competition.[27] In 2024, Wafula competed in 19 events, placing in the top 10 in 10 of them. Some of these events were Men's events.[27]
In 2025, Wafula distinguished herself in the Sunshine Development Tour's East Africa Swing event, a men's competition.[28] Wafula was the only woman to make the cut, and was one of only five amateurs to do so.
Team events representing Kenya
[edit]- 2011 Gilbertson and Page Trophy (winners)[29][30]
- 2013 Gilbertson and Page Trophy (winners)[29]
- 2014 African Youth Games[2] (silver)
- 2015 Gilbertson and Page Trophy (winners)
- 2020 Gilbertson and Page Trophy (winners)[31]
- 2024 Africa Amateur Women's Invitational
- 2024 All Africa Challenge Trophy (third place)
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Golfer on course to change family fortune". People Daily. 2022-08-24. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ a b "Rose Naliaka – Golfing champion bringing elite sport to disadvantaged girls – Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board". 2022-05-05. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Gifted lady Golfer Naom Wafula: From chips to champions". Daily Nation. 2025-01-24. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Girls with the golden swing". The EastAfrican. 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Ladies bring back G&P trophy". Daily Nation. 2020-07-04. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Ethiopian star Meselech tops Soya guestlist". Capital Sports. 2011-12-12. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ a b MOHAMED, By PETER OCHIENG and MAARUFU. "Koech tops at Kenya Forest Services golf as Wafula stars in Karen". The Standard. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ a b "Young Wafula leads quest for Coast Open title". Daily Nation. 2020-07-04. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "High-rising Wafula set for the US Golf Teen World Championship". Daily Nation. 2020-07-04. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Wafula to miss US Golf Teen World Championship". Daily Nation. 2020-07-04. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ a b c "Kenya's Naomi Wafula Shows Promise on LET". ladieseuropeantour.com. July 6, 2022. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Wessberg guides Wafula, Karimi to Vipingo pro-am title". Daily Nation. 2020-07-04. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Youngster Naomi makes Safari Tour cut as Mudanyi tops Sigona Day 2". Capital Sports. 2020-10-26. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Wafula hopes to inspire women to take up golf". Citizen Digital. 2020-10-27. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Mathew Wahome, Naomi Wafula top juniors". Daily Nation. 2020-07-04. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ a b Ngala, Larry (2022-04-25). "Wafula wins Karen Ladies Open tournament". Daily Nation. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Amundi German Masters | The Official Men's and Women's Amateur Golf Rankings". WAGR. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ a b "History maker Wafula buoyed by Magical Kenya Ladies Open performance". www.michezoafrika.com. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ Opondo, Agnes (2023-02-09). "Golfer Naomi Wafula Makes History At The Magical Kenya Ladies Open". KenyanVibe. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Golfer Naomi Wafula earns invite to play at the Amundi German Masters". www.michezoafrika.com. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ a b "Naomi Wafula seals top amateur title in Thika". Daily Nation. 2024-08-26. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Lady golfer Naomi Wafula makes history at Kiambu Open". Daily Nation. 2023-11-19. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Magical Kenya Ladies Open Returns to Vipingo Ridge for Fourth Edition". ladieseuropeantour.com. January 30, 2024. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ Ngala, Larry (2024-01-10). "Vipingo Ridge gears up for Magical Kenya Ladies Open". Daily Nation. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Five Kenyan golfers confirmed for 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open". Citizen Digital. 2024-01-25. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ Mohamed, Maarufu. "Coast lady golfer Naomi Wafula crowned the 2024 KLGU Matchplay Lady champion". The Standard. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ a b c "Kenyan Golf Ladies bag bronze at All Africa Challenge Trophy in Morocco". Capital Sports. 2024-12-01. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Lejirmah stays ahead at Sunshine Tour second leg". Daily Nation. 2025-06-10. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ a b "KENYA LADIES TEAM SEEK TO DEFEND BI-ANNUAL GILBERSON & PAGE TROPHY IN HARARE - Kenya Golf GuideKenya Golf Guide". www.kenyagolfguide.co.ke. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Kenya ladies golf team to defend G&P Trophy". Business Daily. 2020-12-25. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
- ^ "Kenyans retain Gilberson and Page Trophy". Daily Nation. 2020-07-04. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
External links
[edit]- Naom Angella Wafula at the World Amateur Golf Ranking