Former US kids world champion Georgia Oboh is currently one of the most highly rated female golfers out of Africa. And she’s only 15.
She was the continent’s best player at the Junior Orange Bowl International Invitational in the US and also recently took part in the US Women’s Open qualifier in Florida, a professional tournament with 20 professional golfers in the field. In the Women’s Amateur Championship in June, Georgia had scores of 78 and 72 and was placed 13 out of 105.
I spoke to her about taking part in the US Women’s qualifiers and how she approaches success at such a young age.
How does it feel taking part in the US Women’s qualifiers and tell us more about your performance?
I feel blessed to have been able to take part and attempt to qualify for the US Women’s Open. I was pleased with my performance as a whole, the results this year show how far I have come mentally and physically as a player.
I now know I want I need to do to improve.
I have played with a lot of the top female professionals, I now know I want I need to do to improve as a golfer; so it was a really positive experience.
I would like to also take this opportunity to thank all my family and friends that have made this summer schedule possible.
Tell us more about your background and how you got into golf?
My parents began playing golf when I was four years old; I started taking lessons when I was six. A few months later, I began competing at a local and regional level (in rain, wind or cold almost every weekend in the UK).
Starting with the British Junior Golf tour at seven, I was given the handicap of 36.
I really got motivated that day to be the best player.
It all really took off when I was named junior golfer of the year in 2008 by the BJGT and also that year I watched the British Ladies Open with my parents and got a ball from the then ladies number-one player Lorena Ochoa. I really got motivated that day to be the best player that I can be in the sport.
What’s your training regime like in the last couple of years?
I train every other day in the gym, I practice and play golf 5-6 days a week either working on the golf practice area or the golf course
My goals in the gym: To be more flexible as a whole to avoid injury. To have stronger muscles, for endurance.
My goals in the course: working on ball striking and my self-management in order to improve my scores.
What sort of mentality do you carry for the sport?
Golf is 60 per cent mental and 40 per cent physical in my perspective. A competition can be won or lost from a simple mental mistake or a misplaced shot. As a competitive golfer at an elite level in my career, I devote to golf all my attention in practice and play.
I try to be calm but at the same time focused.
Golf is a game after all, so I try to be calm but at the same time focused and precise on the golf course.
Finally where do you see yourself in the next three to four years?
I would like to see myself on the LPGA Tour as an active member. To make history as the first African woman on tour and also the first Nigerian woman. Rising through the ranks, on my way to win majors and eventually hold the rank as the best female pro golfer (#1)!
I pray that God will help me in this goal and also I hope to have great sponsors who can help. The travel and training expenses can be quite high so we are praying to get a great group of sponsors come to our aid.
Georgia is currently preparing for the R&A Open Junior Championships which is staged every two years for the best junior golfers under 16 years of age in St Andrews in Scotland. Her family is currently looking for funding.