T-OFF July - Sept 2019 | Page 7

KAREN MASTERS This Man Toto! H e could easily pass for an ordinary wager-inspired weekend golfer. Burly and not seeming so athletic, Toto Thimba Jnr is special. Meet the 2019 KCB Karen Masters champion. He was undoubtedly the crowd favourite. And everything was going right for him; complexion and a familiar name. When I first saw the KCB Karen Masters draw, I thought Toto Thimba had been mistakenly entered as a South African. Thimba is such a Kenyan name, so I thought. Add Toto and there’s no doubt this was our very own prodigal son coming back home! And he did not disappoint. The 33-year old South African obliterated the cast at Karen for his maiden win on the Sunshine Tour. Toto who is based at the Silver Lakes Country Club became the first black golfer to win the event. No doubt Toto is an affable guy. His success can be traced down to two things; raw power and professional arrogance! “It wasn’t easy, but I made it look easy,” he said after donning the prestigious Blue Jacket. It has not been smooth sailing though for Toto since he turned pro in 2007. Before the Karen Masters event, Toto had never won any round on the Sunshine Tour. However, over the last one year, he has been showing glimpses of a champion in the making. This year, he finished second in the Sunshine Tour event held in Swaziland. Prior to this he had recorded three wins on the Sunshine