PURE BLISS FOR GOLFER: Wanjohi seals 2016 series of Standard County Golf Classic with emphatic win in Nakuru

The Standard County Golf Classic overall winner Wahome Wanjohi display his trophy at Nakuru Golf Club on February 11,2017.PHOTO:KIPSANG JOSEPH

The desire to look for a social place to interact drove Wahome Wanjohi to join par 73 Nakuru Golf Club in the late ‘90s.

Despite successfully joining the club after he was referred by a friend, Wanjohi had little interest in golf since all he wanted to socialise.

But he realised he could not engage successfully with other club members who would speak golf lingo after a grueling day on the course.

This compelled Wanjohi to start practising the game and a win on his debut spurred his interest in golf.

He learnt and mastered golf glossary as he immersed himself deep into the discipline and this improved his socialisation with club members.

Wanjohi would later rise to become almost everything at the historic club.

He was voted club captain (1999), club chairman (2001-2002), treasurer, secretary, committee member among other posts.

But the icing on the cake for this over two-decade achievement was realised on Saturday night when he was declared the overall winner of the 13th and last leg of the 2016 Standard County Golf Classic County Golf Classic series that the club hosted.

Wanjohi fired 23 points in the front nine and 20 in the back to carry the day with 43 stable ford points.

His feat not only earned him a glittering trophy, which was presented to him by the Standard Group Chief Executive Officer Sam Shollei, but also a three-month free subscription of the Nairobian and The Standard newspapers. He also slashed his handicap from 12 to 10.

“I have played all the Standard Group tournaments hosted by the club but had not been successful. My desire has always been to win and add this trophy in my cabinet. I’m glad it happened today,” Wanjohi said after he beat a field of 154 participants to the crown champion.

The 49-year old businessman, who is also a member of Nairobi’s Vet Lab Golf Club, explains that it was his ability to be calm and relaxed on the tough and dry fairways that gave him focus to rake points during the event.

“I also had a worthy batch of members with respectable handicaps. This compelled me to put forward my ‘A’ game as everyone was focused on victory,” said.