IBB Ladies Open Now a World Ranking Tournament 

Olawale Ajimotokan  in Abuja 

The 26th IBB Ladies International Open, which teed off yesterday through Sunday will be a  world ranking event, certified lady professional golfer, Mrs Uloma Mbuko, disclosed.

The event will play host to 450 players from about 50 clubs  from Nigeria and five countries, including Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

At a briefing yesterday, Mbuko said that the players featuring at tournament billed for IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja will be rated according to the world ranking. 

“It is a global tournament, a three-day event, already we have more than 400 participants taking part. We are also expecting about 200 plus ladies. We all know golf takes care of everybody.The major thing is we are having women inclusion. We are looking forward to a world standard golfing within these three days. Those who perform well will be rated according to world golf ranking. I’m looking forward for a Nigerian to lift the trophy,” Mboku said.

The President Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria, Evelyn Oyome, noted that the tournament is gross event over 54 holes.

She said although some of the experienced Nigerian players like Rachael Danjuma and Amina Wilfred have turned professional, the country also boasts of ranked players like A.E Igbinadolor from Benin Golf Club and Grace Agbo from IBB Club, who at 18 years old, is the country’s lowest handicapper. 

“And for your information, now that we have other countries coming in to partake in this world ranking event, it actually boosts high degree. It always rates in how many clubs or how many participants are playing. And we found out that we have five other countries that are coming in. So it actually boosts us up a lot in Nigeria.We have countries that are also rated as well. These are countries that have started playing their own world rankings since 2012. So we started in 2018.And for the mere fact that we started in 2018, it is of our own knowledge. We are going to make sure we make use of it” Oyome said.

The Captain IBB Lady Section,  Dame Julie Donli, said the tournament has grown in significance, fostering camaderie and inspiring the next generation of female golfers.

Donle said the lady professionals who are playing in the tournament will compete for  5,000 dollars.