Sanjana Sharma

Youngster Sanjana Sharma with Karen Masters Tournament director and event official Bobby Macharia after winning the chipping competition in the 2018 Masters at Karen.

| Larry Ngala | Nation Media Group

Sanjana Sharma: the making of a queen in the golf course

What you need to know:

  • She started playing more seriously about three years ago at Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club under the watchful of Kenyan professional golfer Riz Charania
  • ‘Youngster made history by being the youngest winner of the Bronze titles in the Stroke Play and Match in the same year at an early age of 12 years. Had she played in the main competition, her score would have put her in third place behind the legendary Kenyan lady golfer Florence Maina’

Sanjana Pancho Sharma, at the age of 12, has already made a name for herself in golf.

In a span of just two years, she has marked several major milestones.

These include winning the 2018 KCB Karen Masters Junior Chipping Competition, and recording a second place finish in last year’s Kenya Junior Stroke Play Championships in the under-19 girls’ division, just to name a few.

And to cap an up-and-coming young golfer's impressive achievements, she recently won both the Stroke Play and Match Play championships in the Ladies Bronze Division at the Muthaiga Golf Club.

Sanjana Sharma

Youngster Sanjana Sharma showing off her two championship trophies. 

Photo credit: Larry Ngala | Nation Media Group

She is the youngest player in the history of the club to have won both these significant events in the same year.

In an interview with Nation Sport, she made it very clear that she aspires to beat her father's accomplishments in golf and play for the Kenya Junior and Ladies Kenya Golf Teams.

These achievements have already earned Sanjana, the prestigious ‘Café Ngoma Sports Personality Award.’

Besides her Junior Golf Shootout Chipping Competition at the KCB Karen Masters Golf Championships, Sanjana also emerged victorious in the 2019 Barclays (Absa Group) sponsored Kenya Open Pro-Am with Muthaiga based professional Jeff Kubwa where she won a Silver Platter.

Then in July the same year, Sanjana played in the San Lameer Club in South Africa and won with 36 points while a week later, she won the junior title in the Junior KZN Pro-Am also at San Lameer.

Awarded the junior prize

Returning home, Sanjana finished second in the Kenya Junior Stroke Play championship in her under 13 years age group.

She also finished second in the overall girls category (ages 11 to 19). And just before golf was suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Sanjana produced an impressive 38 points playing off handicap 23 which was later chopped to 20, during the NCBA Bank golf day, the same as Nick Kamere, Philip Kungu and Njuguna Ndungu.
She was, however, awarded the junior prize as opposed to the overall title.

“I did not play any golf from March until September due to the coronavirus pandemic since the course was closed. The tournament I played after match, was the Ladies Championship,” says Sanjana.

The Grade Seven student at Rosslyn Academy, and the only child of Pancho and Nishi Sharma, both specialists in Dentistry at Gertrude’s Hospital, the young Sharma first picked up a golf club at age of seven and half years while watching her father.

Legendary Farrar

The late legendary professional Charles Farrar, who produced many talented golfers in the country, saw potential in her and told the father to make her play.

She then started playing more seriously about three years ago at Windsor Golf Hotel and Country Club under the watch of professional Riz Charania.

“My father has acted as my coach and sometimes my caddie, and he has encouraged me to be the best. I obviously want to be good player and achieve more than my father ever achieved in his golfing career,’’ says little Sanjana.

The month of November was, however, a fine one, golf-wise, as she was able to play and won the Bronze Division in the Ladies Club Strokeplay at Muthaiga and the Ladies Match Play Championship. She made history by being the youngest winner the Bronze titles in the Stroke Play and Match in the same year at her early age of 12 years.

Had she played in the main competition, her score would have put her in third place behind the legendary Florence Maina.

“My strength in the game has been my long distance and the iron play on the fairway and my determination not to give-up.

“However, I still have some weakness in the short game particularly putting and I plan to work on it to make sure that I improve dramatically,’’ says Sanjana, who says Muthaiga Golf Club course is her favourite.

Her favourite male player in the world is Tiger Woods while her female favourite is Minjee Lee.

“I like Lee’s swing and composure, but I get my determination from my father, and I am grateful for all the love, the time and effort he puts in to improve my game and also to set my eyes on larger goals.”

Sanjana’s immediate Plans?

“I plan to improve my short game from 80 yards to the pin. On a good day, I can hit my driver about 230 yards but need to get it longer to compete with the top players.

Golf scholarship

“I would be honoured to play for the Kenya Junior golf team and eventually play for the Kenya Ladies Team."

“I wish to play R & A World Championships in the UK and the Orange Bowl in the USA in the near future,’’ says the ambitious Sanjana, who is most grateful to Muthaiga resident pro Nelson Mudanyi on his tips, to the course management and short game.

“I aim to get a golf scholarship to the US, UK, or Australia and if successful and I wish to improve even further and hopefully play in the LPGA.”

Sanjana says winning both the Stroke Play and Match Play ladies’ championships at Muthaiga this year and beating some of the top players at the 2018 in the chipping event at KCB Karen Masters chipping competition will remain her fondest memories for some years to come.

But besides golf, Sanjana has also achieved a lot in other sports.

She plays tennis and is also an avid swimmer.

“I was in the school team for swimming, and in tennis, I won tournaments at the local club. I also enjoy ballet, karate and enjoy athletics too,” she explains.

Favourite subjects

Her hobbies are reading, writing, playing instruments, and spending time with her two dogs.

“In school, my favourite subjects are science and mathematcs.

“I believe a balance of education and sport is essential, and I take pride in doing well in both.

“I hope this will help me in obtaining my golf scholarship to the right school or college,” adds Sanjana.

But besides her achievements in sports, and golf in particular, Sanjana has also an achiever in education.

She has been scoring all As in all eight subjects she studies, an achievement that saw her awarded a Certificate of Excellence in recognition of having scored straight As in one year.

“There are few things as rewarding for the teachers and staff at Rosslyn Academy as seeing one of our students excel,” says Philip Dow, Sanjana’s head master at Rosslyn Academy.

“Not only has Sanjana excelled on the golf course, where she continues to accumulate accolades, but she is thriving as a student and as a person. Sanjana is among our finest students, but we are most proud of the type of person that she is becoming.”

He says Sanjana embodies many of the character traits that the school hopes to nurture in its students.

“Sanjana is kind and thoughtful to her classmates, hard-working, gracious and humble.

“The truth is that we would be proud of her even if she hadn't had the success she is having on the golf course. Sanjana is a remarkable young lady,’’ adds Dow.