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The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of Nigeria has taken its dream of a sustainable tour a notch higher by proposing many innovative programmes that would yield the fund for the series.
The planned competition, christened Nigerian Tour, is expected to attract international participation.
The first part of the fund drive is a N200 million launch, which the association said would hold during a ‘gala night’ in August 2021 in Lagos and another one in Abuja on a date to be disclosed later.
Speaking on the development during the 2021 HSDGCC Classic held at the Henry Seriake Dickson Golf and Country Club (HSDGCC), Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, PGA of Nigeria Director, Dr. Tony Philmoore, said the country has embraced the global vision to improve the rating of players, particularly at the professional level.
Philmoore praised the scintillating performance of the PGA of Nigeria players at the HSDGCC Classic, which held from June 23 to 25 with many record-breaking scores.
The winner, Sunday Olapade of Ikoyi Club, Lagos, shot -13 over three days; Vincent Torgah of IBB Club, Abuja shot -11 for the second spot; Francis Epe of Ikoyi Club, Lagos and Kamalu Bako of Kano Club tied on -8 for the third position and Andrew Oche Odoh was fourth on -6 for the fourth position.
According to the Director, “The winner scored -13; second position -11; third position -8; fourth position -6, in three days; it tells what it would have been in four days and of course, it is the best results you can get anywhere in the world.”
While charging the players to continue to work hard, he said, “The PGA of Nigeria is beginning to return to what it was known for and I charge the players to remain focused, disciplined and professional in their conducts at all times to build on their present performance.”
He appealed for corporate support, saying, “we are calling on friends of golf to partner with us to move the game forward.
“The PGA of Nigeria is coming up with it’s own tour christened, ‘Nigeria Tour,’ which will be like the USPGA, European Tour; Sunshine Tour of South Africa etc.; but to achieve this dream, we will have a Gala Night in August in Lagos and another one in Abuja, but no date yet; it’s for a fundraising and we are targeting over N200 million.”
At the event, Captain of HSDGCC, Richie Etonye, was inducted as PGA of Nigeria Life Vice President on a day Bose Onwuegbu, the Lady Captain of Dolphin Golf Club Lagos, promised a mega Pro-Am soon.
In his remarks, Tournament Director, PGA of Nigeria, Johnbull Dengbofa, explained that the current progress in the association was as a result of teamwork, rather than individual effort, adding that it should be sustained for the set target to be achieved.