Stefan Engell Andersen used to run around at Kenya Opens as a small child, chasing his golfing idols and dreaming that one day he would be like them. Now, the Kenyan is playing in the tournament as a professional for the first time and daring to dream of a fairytale victory at Muthaiga Golf Club.
Andersen’s mother, Yolanda, was in charge of media for the tournament from 1995 to 2004, and she used to bring her son along too. The 21 year old, whose father is Danish, would watch with interest, quickly deciding it was the career for him.
Having turned professional in December, Andersen played in the season-opening Gujurat Kensville Challenge in January and has had another invite from the Challenge Tour to play in this week’s Barclays Kenya Open, where he shot a three over par 74 in the first round.
“I’ve basically grown up on a golf course,” he said. “Since I was about five and running around the place, I’ve known that all I want to be is a professional golfer.
“Most of the tournaments my mother worked at were here at Muthaiga so I know this place very well. I’m still a member here as well as at Serengeti Golf Club in South Africa. Our family home is here in Nairobi but I’m also based in South Africa. I went to Pretoria University, where I studied Sport Science and specialised in golf.
“Now I’m hoping to play as much as I can on the Challenge Tour, on the Sunshine Tour and also the winter tour in South Africa. I’m really hoping to play in the ECCO Tour Championship this summer – hopefully my Danish connection will help me get an invite.”
That Danish connection was strong in 1996, when European Tour star Thomas Björn stayed with the Andersen family while he competed in the Kenya Open.
Yolanda Andersen said, much to her son’s embarrassment: “Stefan grew so attached to Thomas he was hanging around his legs when it was time for him to leave.”
The family lost touch with Björn, however, and another player became Andersen’s idol: Tiger Woods.
“He’s the player I’ve always looked up to, perhaps now more than ever,” he said. “He still attracts all the attention and the way he is coming back to form is really admirable. I’d love to play like Tiger – anyone would.”
Andersen, who won the Kenyan Amateur Championship by 17 shots, has a fair way to go before he can compete with Woods, but he is making steady progress by working his way up through the ranks.
Following his Challenge Tour debut in India, which was shortly after he narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Joburg Open, he said he had learned many things - on and off the course.
“I was on the plane from Bombay to Ahmedabad with a bunch of British guys and they were all talking about how they’d packed their own food, because the chances of getting food poisoning in India is very high,” said Andersen.
“I hadn’t taken anything, and I was so worried that I didn’t eat for the first two days. Now I know I shouldn’t have listened to them!
“But I learned quite a bit and hopefully it will stand me in good stead this week. It’s all about learning from your experiences.
“This week, although I know the course so well, I’m just going to have to forget where I am and play it like I am playing it for the first time. Of course it would be a dream come true to win here, but I don’t want to make assumptions like that.”
Yolanda, now her son’s manager, runs a communications company and has worked with stars such as record-breaking sprinter Usain Bolt and footballer Samuel Eto’o.
She certainly has plenty of stories to tell when reminiscing about Stefan’s childhood.
“I saw a boy here earlier who I recognised from a few years ago,” she said. “It was Chris Lloyd, who played with Stefan in the Ernie Els junior event at Fancourt. Chris went on to win it so I remembered him – plus he’s not someone you’d forget with that bright red hair!
“We have travelled all over the place for with Stefan and for golf. We watched Tiger Woods in the Dubai Desert Classic in 1996, and we went to Muirfield for The Open Championship in 2002, the year Ernie Els won.
“Golf has been a huge part of our lives – and still is. It’s so good to see Stefan competing here this week and hopefully he can do well.”
