Golfer cites past experiences as main cause of his decision to relieve himself of anxiety.If there is one word that Royal Nairobi Golf Club hard-hitter Erick Ooko Obura does not want to hear when Magical Kenya Open is always around the corner is pressure.
The 33-year-old is doing all he can to stay away from any pressing matter related to this year’s tournament to be held at Karen Golf and Country Club in Nairobi on March 12- 15.
“I have made no target, I’m not pressured to make the cut,” he told Standard Sports.
“Any of these will just give me anxiety for no apparent reason,” he said.
Instead, the father of two is praying and hoping that his swings and putts will be perfect on the week of the competition.
Obura believes no matter the kind of training one has put in place, you can never be successful in any golf tournament if their swings are awful.
“I’m speaking from experience, you see players train hard for contests.
“They prepare well mentally, then comes the D- Day they trip.
“It is on this premise that I resolved never to count my eggs before they are hatched.
“All tournaments are the same, the secret to winning lies on one’s swings and putts, and all these depends on how a golfer wakes up that very morning.”
Despite his rare belief, Obura has been upping his practice ahead of the global showpiece since last year.
He used the recently concluded Safari Tour Series as his training ground, going ahead to finish fourth overall behind Mumias pro Dismas Indiza who was crowned overall champion.
Both Indiza and Obura are among the eight local professionals who have booked slots for the Open.
Kenya will also be presented by five other amateurs who will form the bulk of 144 players out to win the lucrative 1.1million Euros prize money.
“I urge the government to sponsor top five finishers at Safari Tour, for international events across Africa and beyond,” he remarked.
Obura has a tight personal schedule which includes a 15km run on Mondays.
“I also hit 350 balls on the range at Royal on the day.”
He has contests against his friends on Tuesdays while Wednesdays and Thursdays are reserved for range work.
He plays 18-hole on Fridays which he tops by hitting 15 balls at the range.
He engages in short game including chippings and putts on Saturdays and proceeds for a full tournament at Sigona on Sundays.
Obura has never made the cut since he first qualified for Open in 2015.
“I missed progressing to the next round by a shot after recording an under par gross at Karen.
