Five countries, 450 golfers battle for glory at 26th IBB Ladies golf tourney

Abuja has become the epicentre of women’s golf in Africa as 450 players have converged on the Federal Capital Territory to fight for honours at the 26th IBB International Golf and Country Club’s ladies tournament, which teed off yesterday.

The four-day tournament with the theme, “The Abuja Experience,” is featuring golfers from 50 clubs across Nigeria and five international teams from Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

While unveiling the event yesterday in Abuja, lady captain of the club, Dame Julie Donli, said the event “is not just a celebration of the game we love, but a testament to the commitment, resilience and sportsmanship that defines the game of Golf the world over.

“Over the years, this tournament has grown in significance, fostering camaraderie, promoting excellence in women’s golf, and inspiring the next generation of female golfers. It is our goal to continuously elevate the standard of this event and to create opportunities for more women to participate and enjoy the sport.

“I extend my heartfelt appreciation to our sponsors, partners, and everyone who has worked tirelessly to make this edition possible. Your unwavering support has been instrumental to the success of this tournament. We are grateful to all who have travelled from various locations even those based in Abuja.

“As we look forward to an exciting competition for the next three days, I encourage all participants to embrace the spirit of fair play, friendship, and excellence. Together, we will continue to grow the game of golf and inspire greater achievements.”

She encouraged the participants to embrace fair play, friendship, and excellence throughout the competition. Also speaking at the event, CEO of Elite Global Golf Academy, Mrs. Uloma Mbuko Ogbuokiri, shared insights into the diversity of the competition.

She said: “We are also expecting about 200 plus ladies. So in that category, we have different categories. We have the female pros. We have those in the main event playing off handicap zero to 18 and we have the division 2, 19, to 28 handicap.

“We have the veterans and super veterans. We have what we call special category that is our own way of accommodating those who are starting. So the tournament is inclusive. We all know golf takes care of everybody.

“The major thing is we are having women inclusion, all the ladies, irrespective of your category, you’ll be participating, and we are looking forward to a world standard golfing within these three days, and those who perform well will be rated according to World Golf ranking.” President of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria (LGAN) and a member of Ikoyi Club 1938, Evelyn Oyome, highlighted the global significance of the event:

“The 26th edition of the IBB Ladies Golf and Country Club Open is a world-ranking event. For those who don’t know, a world-ranking tournament requires 54 holes to be played over three days.

“We are excited to have top-ranked female golfers from within and outside Nigeria. One of our own, Ehizi Bin Adolo from Benin Golf Club, is among the ranked participants. This tournament stands out from other ladies’ open events because IBB Golf Club was the first to introduce world-ranking tournaments in Nigeria.

“We did not have ranked female golfers, but now, some of our participants have progressed to professional status, including Richard Danduma from this prestigious golf club.”

She also called on the media to promote the event, emphasizing the growing presence of women in golf, adding, “we want the world to know that women are making their mark in golf. We play golf, we live golf, and we love golf.”