IBB Golf and Country Club, Abuja

The Abuja leg of the Glo Golf Tour West Africa opened at the IBB Golf and Country Club, with superlative golf play which climaxed with Mohamed Yahaya Liman of the host club, playing a hole-in-one.

Playing at five-over before Hole 8, Liman smashed the ball home in one shot at Hole 8, thereby winning Globacom’s Toyota Corolla car prize for the first Hole-in-One winner of the Tour.

Speaking after his game, Liman said he was pleasantly surprised to see the ball heading for the flag, and slowly roll into the hole.

“Although I believed strongly that I would have a good game and even win the competition, my intention was not to play Hole-in-One. By the time I got to Hole 8, I was playing five-over. My intention was to play a birdie and come to four-over and then play another birdie and get to three-over. Luckily, when I smashed the ball, it went into the hole,” Liman said beaming with smiles.

He paid tribute to Globacom for enriching golf sponsorship in the country. “Glo has changed the game of golf in Nigeria. Tournaments like this will help the game to grow and take our players to compete with the world’s best players. I am very happy. For me, the Hole-in-One prize is even more than the tournament prize,” he declared.

Liman however finished the day at plus 6 with a score of 78.

It was a strong Nigerian showing as Andrew Dominic also of the IBB Golf Club finished top of the log at two-under (70), while Sanusi  Mubasiru, Willy Gift, Obi Emeka and Shockai Ibrahim all finished at one-under 71.

Other Nigerian players such as Andrew Oche Odoh who won the 2nd Leg in Sagamu, finished joint third at 72 with Agwom Luka and Odoh Martin.

Ghanaian golfers, Vincent Torgah and Korblah Emos, finished in 6th place with five other players, while Camerounian Tchana Christian, Nlareb Issa and Nloga Alexandre closed the day at 78, 84 and 85 respectively.
Senegalese player Samba Niang finished on a score of 80.

The competition will continue today with the amateur players taking to the course along with the Pros. Forty Pros and category one amateurs will however precede, out of the original field of 80, to the last game on Friday when the final leaders will emerge.