Meet Roger Sali - Bringing The Sport Of Golf To Uganda
This is a story about the convergence of globalization, technology, and God's gifted talent. After tumbling down an Instagram rabbit hole one sleepless night, a video on my feed caught my attention. It was Roger Sali, a young golfer from Uganda driving the ball seemingly as far as the eye could see, the next video was him in a village doing trick shots over cows. His teacher? Great players on Instagram, YouTube, and American golf professional Nick Schiavi. So, we reached out to Roger over Instagram DM to speak with him about his life, golf, and future goals and thankfully due to technology we jumped on a video chat and connected with our new friend who is living 7,280 miles away.
Roger has only been playing golf for two years after finding a job as a caddie at a local golf resort, Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa, to help provide for his family following his father’s unfortunate early passing. During the lockdown in 2020 he began to practice, and he found his flow rapidly. “If you are doing something that you like, you will learn that thing quickly and that is what happened with me and the game of golf. I love it.” But there are a lot of people that love golf and do not have the raw talent that Roger exudes and that is where he stands out and secures his position as a true player rather than an admirer.
“I watch videos on YouTube and Instagram of great golfers, and then try to emulate it on my own. I don’t even need to use a ball; I will visualize it when I do have a ball and club, I can do it. That is how I am learning; those players are my teachers.” Roger also works with American golf professional Nick Schiavi virtually who helps him refine his game as he begins the next leg of his golf career, entering tournaments. The ultimate goal? To become a scratch player at the game of golf in the hopes of making money through sponsorships and prize money to help his community that is riddled with poverty and support his family. “I don’t have much money, but with the money I make being a caddie I will buy a Coca Cola for kids in the village to make their day and then I will play a little golf right there to show them how much fun it can be and that they too can play.”
Growing up, Roger had no interest in golf but that was due to a lack of exposure and the belief that he would not be welcomed into the sport. “Most people in Uganda think of golf as a sport for the rich and when I started my Instagram page my goal was to expose and redefine the sport in the eyes of my countrymen and have it be recognized as a game that anyone can play and enjoy.” But caddying is a ticket into the sport and potentially for those gifted players like Roger, a ticket to a whole new life for him, his community, and his family.
Follow Roger and his journey @Saligolfs !
