Friday, October 06, 2006
Nigeria Cup: Holy Cup, Holy Grail!
Playing at Ikoyi Golf Club in Lagos, for professionals, conjures up an air of consecrated ritual that must be done with every inch of sanctity.
Golf in Nigeria may never have teed off from there, but the volume of hallowed performances that the course has etched into the Nigerian golf history book makes each tee-box a temple to be tread with caution.
World number three Vijay Singh had in 1998 referred his performances (in 1987 and 1988) at Ikoyi club among other as his nursery to capturing his first major that year at Augusta.
Ask other top players like Gordon J. Brand, Bill Longimuir, Ian Woosnam and of course Nick Faldo, they may not be able to pronounce ‘Ikoyi’ right; they all have living memories of what their experience on that course has done to their career.
Coming homewards, living legend, Peter Akakasiaka turned up his best performances here with the Nigerian Open series, where he ended up being the highest paid Nigerian player-cumulatively in the open till date. Another homeboy, Lateef Lasisi holds the highest singular paycheck that the event has dolled out to any black player when he lifted the Nigerian Open trophy in 1993. Of course, at Ikoyi club.
The PGA of Nigeria’s office started there in 1969, Matthew Jacobs and the big five of the professional golf all have their roots at the Ikoyi club.
For the younger generation pros, they looked forward to the playing the course with yearning. One: for the overbearing attachment the course has with professional golf history.
Two: they scantily have a go at the course since the Nigerian Open has been moved to the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja. And thirdly, the present crop of youngsters believes that they are better at the game than the first Nigerians who charted those records, especially when they compare their international exposure relative to their age.
But on Tuesday, September 26, the top thirty on the PGA (professional Golfers’ Association) of Nigeria order-of-merit would be vying for respect and a chance to have the lion share of the 500,000 (about 4,000US$) staked for the pros at the 2006 Nigeria Cup.
The Nigerian Cup although is a community shield that the executives at the Ikoyi Club holds in marking the independence of the country, the typical seriousness that is expected of the professionals would be bereft of the prize money which they have termed ‘paltry’ and the fact that the challenge is a one-day affair.
Tournament Director of the PGA, Dominic Andrew, says that the best players in the country would definitely converge for the one-day thriller. But he believes increasing the purse and extending the period of play would be more befitting for the kind of expectation and the determination that the players have and would invest into the Nigeria Cup.
That aside, the event may end up recording the best performances by the pros in the on-going 2006 season given the many grudges that the platform in Ikoyi would be presenting to the players to put to rest.
Gentle gizmo, Abdullahi Alli from Kano state who has been away was away in France when South African trained Gift Willy ran away with his first career win at the IBB International Golf and Country Club would be making a statement with his return; “I am the one to be feared no Willy”
Of course, Willy has earned himself a reputation after mounting the podium in Abuja to pick the winning cheque at the Pinancle Championship, undermining the presence of Ochei Odoh who had pocketed three tournaments in a row with ease. And he didn’t hide it then. “Oche knows it would one day be my turn. I have been second to him on too many occasions. This win has made me better and I believe that we are now in it together. I am now the player to beat” he retorted at the Abuja.
Fortunately, the win has pushed Gift Willy forward on the order of merit, though in a distant second position to Oche. That has in return set him up for field rancor with other players who have perambulated the top five spot without a win this season they include;
Gboyega Oyebanji who after his brilliant crash at the regional qualifier for the British Open in UK had stayed back to try his hand on some challenge tour events. His sojourn did not go too well as planned but he would do anything refute the claims that Gift, the one tournament hero, is now the second best player in the country. ‘Teco’ as he is popularly known was the former Nigerian number one. He has stayed longer than Oche at the number one spot and believes his holidaying in Europe had cost him not only his slide to number three but also a chance to retake the number one spot.
Umoh Edet, the former national amateur terror had his playing card delayed by the PGA after his return from South Africa and he has extended his bellicose to his playing mates who has written him off to finish in the top ten because of the late start. Having won the Lagos amateur Open in Ikoyi, Edet would be teeing off the Nigeria cup breathing faster than anybody around.
Christain Godfery and Lateef Lasisi are entwined by fate too. Godfrey rose to Nigeria’s number one three years ago from a win at Ikoyi while Lasisi made his biggest career win there. With new competition both players have a lot to prove with their performance at the 18-hole Nigerian Community Shield.
Caddies, Golf writers and a couple of players are going to line behind the Ikoyi ropes on Tuesday to watch the players do their thing, and one definite request that would be made that day is: “why not have them play for longer days?” And that is going to be a big puzzle for the Barin Epega’s organizing team who would understandably are keeping a larger part of the event’s budget for the presentation ceremony and gala night.
For the pros, no qualms it is another opportunity at rubbishing history and earning respect at golf’s altar in Lagos.
Golf in Nigeria may never have teed off from there, but the volume of hallowed performances that the course has etched into the Nigerian golf history book makes each tee-box a temple to be tread with caution.
World number three Vijay Singh had in 1998 referred his performances (in 1987 and 1988) at Ikoyi club among other as his nursery to capturing his first major that year at Augusta.
Ask other top players like Gordon J. Brand, Bill Longimuir, Ian Woosnam and of course Nick Faldo, they may not be able to pronounce ‘Ikoyi’ right; they all have living memories of what their experience on that course has done to their career.
Coming homewards, living legend, Peter Akakasiaka turned up his best performances here with the Nigerian Open series, where he ended up being the highest paid Nigerian player-cumulatively in the open till date. Another homeboy, Lateef Lasisi holds the highest singular paycheck that the event has dolled out to any black player when he lifted the Nigerian Open trophy in 1993. Of course, at Ikoyi club.
The PGA of Nigeria’s office started there in 1969, Matthew Jacobs and the big five of the professional golf all have their roots at the Ikoyi club.
For the younger generation pros, they looked forward to the playing the course with yearning. One: for the overbearing attachment the course has with professional golf history.
Two: they scantily have a go at the course since the Nigerian Open has been moved to the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja. And thirdly, the present crop of youngsters believes that they are better at the game than the first Nigerians who charted those records, especially when they compare their international exposure relative to their age.
But on Tuesday, September 26, the top thirty on the PGA (professional Golfers’ Association) of Nigeria order-of-merit would be vying for respect and a chance to have the lion share of the 500,000 (about 4,000US$) staked for the pros at the 2006 Nigeria Cup.
The Nigerian Cup although is a community shield that the executives at the Ikoyi Club holds in marking the independence of the country, the typical seriousness that is expected of the professionals would be bereft of the prize money which they have termed ‘paltry’ and the fact that the challenge is a one-day affair.
Tournament Director of the PGA, Dominic Andrew, says that the best players in the country would definitely converge for the one-day thriller. But he believes increasing the purse and extending the period of play would be more befitting for the kind of expectation and the determination that the players have and would invest into the Nigeria Cup.
That aside, the event may end up recording the best performances by the pros in the on-going 2006 season given the many grudges that the platform in Ikoyi would be presenting to the players to put to rest.
Gentle gizmo, Abdullahi Alli from Kano state who has been away was away in France when South African trained Gift Willy ran away with his first career win at the IBB International Golf and Country Club would be making a statement with his return; “I am the one to be feared no Willy”
Of course, Willy has earned himself a reputation after mounting the podium in Abuja to pick the winning cheque at the Pinancle Championship, undermining the presence of Ochei Odoh who had pocketed three tournaments in a row with ease. And he didn’t hide it then. “Oche knows it would one day be my turn. I have been second to him on too many occasions. This win has made me better and I believe that we are now in it together. I am now the player to beat” he retorted at the Abuja.
Fortunately, the win has pushed Gift Willy forward on the order of merit, though in a distant second position to Oche. That has in return set him up for field rancor with other players who have perambulated the top five spot without a win this season they include;
Gboyega Oyebanji who after his brilliant crash at the regional qualifier for the British Open in UK had stayed back to try his hand on some challenge tour events. His sojourn did not go too well as planned but he would do anything refute the claims that Gift, the one tournament hero, is now the second best player in the country. ‘Teco’ as he is popularly known was the former Nigerian number one. He has stayed longer than Oche at the number one spot and believes his holidaying in Europe had cost him not only his slide to number three but also a chance to retake the number one spot.
Umoh Edet, the former national amateur terror had his playing card delayed by the PGA after his return from South Africa and he has extended his bellicose to his playing mates who has written him off to finish in the top ten because of the late start. Having won the Lagos amateur Open in Ikoyi, Edet would be teeing off the Nigeria cup breathing faster than anybody around.
Christain Godfery and Lateef Lasisi are entwined by fate too. Godfrey rose to Nigeria’s number one three years ago from a win at Ikoyi while Lasisi made his biggest career win there. With new competition both players have a lot to prove with their performance at the 18-hole Nigerian Community Shield.
Caddies, Golf writers and a couple of players are going to line behind the Ikoyi ropes on Tuesday to watch the players do their thing, and one definite request that would be made that day is: “why not have them play for longer days?” And that is going to be a big puzzle for the Barin Epega’s organizing team who would understandably are keeping a larger part of the event’s budget for the presentation ceremony and gala night.
For the pros, no qualms it is another opportunity at rubbishing history and earning respect at golf’s altar in Lagos.
