Why Okello ditched Gor Mahia for golf

Golf Park player Jacob Okello is the most decorated local golfer when it comes to Magical Kenya Open.

The 52-year-old father of two twice topped the tournament, in 1992 and 1993, as an amateur.

He later joined the paid ranks in 1996 before his magic moment came two years later in the 1998 edition held at the pristine Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi.

Motivated by his father Ben, who is popularly known as Kenya 1, Okello performed amazing stunts in Muthaiga that propelled him to the final where he tied against Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina.

Since the tournament was a winner-takes-it-all contest, the duo was subjected to a sudden death play-off to determine the champion, which Gonzalez won.

Okello finished second on 11 under par 61, his best ever score in the global showpiece to date.

Since then, no Kenyan has reached the same heights 23 years later. According to Okello, the feat he achieved could not have been possible had he stuck with football; his first love.

He used to play for Kenyan Premier League football champions Gor Mahia FC in the early ‘80s as a midfielder.

He dazzled at the centre alongside the late Abbas Khamis ‘Zamalek’ Magongo, who passed on 22 years ago.

His other teammates included Kakamega High School’s George Nyangi Odembo and his name sake David Okello.

Okello featured for the 19-time KPL champions until he broke his leg while in Form four.

The incident did not augur well with his family as it affected his education at Kakamega High.

It actually changed the course of his career, from the football field to the golf course.

“I always don’t want to speak about the sad event of that day, it has never left my mind to date,” he said.

“The incident was too heavy for my family. I was left on my own by the club. It was my dad Ben, who foot the hospital bill when I picked the injury.”

“As a family, we agreed I end my football career when Gor took us in circles over the bill. It was a painful decision to make. Looking back, I can’t regret because I have achieved amazing things with golf.”

As Okello bid bye to football which he crazily loved, his Gor Mahia teammates went ahead to dominate regional and continental titles including lifting the African Cup Winners Cup/Mandela Cup in 1987, Cecafa Clubs Championship (1980,81,85) and the Kenya Challenge Cup/ Moi Golden (1983,86,87).

Okello advises current leaders at the club to strive and run things professionally so that they can save great talents in the team.

“If I didn’t have a father who stood by me during that lowest moment when my leg was plastered, I could have ended up as a street boy,” said Okello.

As he prepares to return to the greens this week for the Magical Kenya Open slated at Karen Golf and Country Club in Nairobi from Thursday-Sunday, Okello says he doesn’t regret not bagging the tournament trophy in 1998.

“I don’t regret losing the final to Gonzalez, I believe God’s time is the best. You never know, the time could just be now in the forthcoming event.”

Okello has never missed any edition of Kenya Open since he turned professional 25 years ago,

He tips local pros to dominate either the Open or the Savannah Classics that the country will host in the coming weeks.