Joseph Ndung'u: Caddie who defied racial divides to play in 1969 Kenya Open
Kenya’s Golfer of the Year and defending champion, Michael Karanga, receives this year’s Sigona Bowl from Joseph Ndungu (right), who won this trophy 50 years ago on January 26, 2025. The Bowl is part of the NCBA Kenya Amateur Golf Championship’s (KAGC) first leg.
Ndung’u, 82, is still active as a trainer of golfers at Vet Lab Golf Club, fit a fiddle and regularly enjoys his round of golf.
At Muthaiga where he teed off in his first Kenya Open in 1969, Ndungu’s only regret is that most of his peers, who went on to force themselves on the high table of professional golfing and finally got accepted by the white golfing fraternity, are all dead.
Joseph Ndung’u stands upright, strong and jovial. Tomorrow, Muthaiga Golf Club will be his base as he joins a selected number of caddies who transitioned to become professional golfers and whose resilience formed the foundation of African players in the early years of independence.
Ndung’u, 82, is still active as a trainer of golfers at Vet Lab Golf Club, fit a fiddle and regularly enjoys his round of golf.
