15-year old Tanzanian National Aayush Nathwani enjoys living in South Africa and enjoys playing golf in this region. One of the biggest shocks to Aayush after his first golf experience in George was how fast the local greens are versus what he was used to back home. Aayush especially enjoys the peaceful, tranquil setting in George. Aayush had only just turned 13 years old when he joined #KeNakoAcademy in September 2017.  His parents are extremely supportive of him pursuing his dream of becoming a golf professional.

His father taught him how to swing a golf club.  He was about 6 years old at the time. However, he only started taking the game seriously at the age of 10. The first tournament he competed in was at his home golf course, Arusha Jumkhana Club. Even though things didn’t go according to plan, he was just excited to play and he remembers approaching each hole with great enthusiasm.

His focus for this year is to improve overall and achieve lower scores. Aayush broke 80 for the first time earlier this year and he enjoys the fact that he is making steady progress. Aayush keeps a level head by focusing on every shot and tries to stay present whilst competing.  He enjoys the KeNako Academy programme which encompasses all three aspects of the game developing the technical, mental and physical skills of being a sportsman. He is in the gym at least 3 times a week and tries to play golf 6 days a week.

Aayush feels most comfortable with his lob wedge in his hands. He believes his competitive advantage lies in his short game. The course at the top of his bucket list is the host of the annual Masters Tournament, Augusta National Golf Club. His favourite local course is Fancourt – he enjoys the design. Ricky Fowler is the golf professional he looks up to; he likes his swing and the way he approaches each tournament.

Aayush is currently an IG1 (Grade 10) student at #RundleCollege. His subjects include Mathematics, English, French, Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. He enjoys working with numbers so naturally mathematics is his favourite subject.

Aayush is a very pleasant and well-mannered young man.  Well done on your progress to date Aayush.  There are no limitations to what you can achieve! Be fearless and keep reaching for the stars!