Alechenu needs help ahead qualifying school

Junior golf sensation, Odey Alechenu, a product of David Mark Golf Academy, Oturkpo, Benue State, who has been dreaming of a professional career since graduating from the academy in 2017, needs help to make the professional grade.

Alechenu, 19, was a member of Team Delta, who swept the highest gold medals at the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival.

He will join the next Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of Nigeria Qualifying School programme if he gets a sponsor.

“I am 100 percent ready for the next PGA Q’School, but my biggest problem has been sponsorship. I don’t have the money to enroll for the exercise and nobody is willing to sponsor somebody; becoming a professional is my dream in golf,” he said.

Alechenu’s worries invariably justifies some stakeholders’ call for the intervention of individuals and golf bodies as the Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF), Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria (LGAN) and the PGA of Nigeria giving some reprieve to some of the zealous players.

“There are some young boys from Benue who are playing fantastic golf and should not be allowed to waste; the NGF; LGAN; the PGA of Nigeria and individuals should help sponsor them,” said Ben Oghuma, a golf facilitator in Benin City, Edo State during the festival.

The PGA of Nigeria through its Secretary, Jide Bolaji, disclosed that the date for the next PGA Qualifying School would be revealed after the ‘Special Women Training’ expected to hold between September and October, 2021.

Alechenu, who has represented Nigeria in many junior tournaments and has won laurels at various junior championships, hopes somebody or organisations would come to his rescue before the next Qualifying School.