NAN-S-3
Golf
By Victor Okoye
Abuja, Dec. 8, 2017 (NAN) Emeka Okatta, the President of West Africa Golf Tour (WAGT), says the body will host the Tour Championship from Dec. 19 to Dec. 23 in Abuja.
Okatta told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja the tournament would take place at the IBB Golf and Country Club.
“The event which is the last tournament of the 2017 season will start with the Caddies Competition on Dec. 19, while the professional tournament holds from Dec. 20 to Dec. 23.
“The amateurs will also feature in a one-day tournament on the final day,” he said.
Okatta disclosed that the competition’s purse money would be 50,000 US dollars (about N18 million), adding that the winner of the pro event would take home 6,000 US dollars.
“In addition to the 6,000 US dollars, the winner will also earn 6,000 points for the order of merit,” he said.
NAN reports that over the span of all events staged by the WAGT since being launched in February 2016, its players have been earning points.
The points were based on the result in each of the tournaments staged at different locations around Nigeria.
Each of the 109 members of the tour has earned a position on the ranking system, referred to as “the Order of Merit’’.
Okatta revealed that players from no fewer than four African countries had indicated interest in participating in the tournament.
“So far, we have entries comprising of players from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Zimbabwe and Senegal.
“Some of the notable names are five-times winner Vincent Torgah from Ghana, Visitor Mapwanya from Zimbabwe, Kingsley Oparaku from Nigeria, Issa Nlareb from Cameroon and Samba Niang from Senegal.’’
NAN also reports that Nlareb won the FCT Classic, which was the first tournament of the 2017 WAGT season held in February, while Oparaku clinched the Port Harcourt Classic in April.
Torgah emerged as winner of the second edition of the Nigeria Masters which was held in October in Abuja.
The Ghanaian has accumulated three consecutive victories over the past months, including the Nation@57 in October in Port Harcourt and the Ivory Coast Open.
He currently leads the Order of Merit with 23,000 points, followed by Mapwanya with 19,550 points.
Nlareb (14,850), Nji (14,663) and Oparaku (9,150) are third, fourth and fifth on the log respectively.(NAN)
VO/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)