Georgia Oboh begins final race for spot at Women’s British Open

Nigeria’s Georgia Oboh will be aiming to become the first Nigerian to feature in the prestigious Women’s British Open when she slugs it out with 107 golfers from across the world in the final qualifying tournament today.

It is the race to participate in the 44th edition of the tournament at the Ashridge Golf Club, in Little Gaddesden, England and Oboh is confident she would make the cut.

The Edo State-born golfer, who has continued to put Nigeria on the global map, played a score of 75 (three over par) at the Pre-Qualifying tournament held at Sandy Lodge Golf Club on July 15 to secure her place in the final qualifying competition.

A confident Oboh said she was unfazed by the challenges she had faced so far since turning professional earlier this year, adding she was following her dream of becoming the first female Nigerian to win a major title.

The one-day tournament will decide the players that will join the elite stars that had already been listed by the organizers for the championship holding at Woburn Golf Club in Buckinghamshire, England.

The teenage sensation has been undergoing her apprenticeship with the PGA of Nigeria (PGAN) under the tutelage of Mathew Lawrence of Ikoyi Club.

Even before making it to the main event, which tees off on August 1, the former World Teen Champion has become the first Nigerian to get to the final qualifying tournament of the most established and historic major championship in women’s golf.

The venue of the British Open, Woburn Golf Club has a rich affiliation with the event and professional golf tournaments having first hosted the Women’s British Open in 1984 and ten times since then, most recently in 2016 when Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn prevailed by three strokes on the critically acclaimed Marquess’ course.

As one of only two women majors played outside the U.S., the Women’s British Open is known to be the most international with 29 different nations represented in the 2018 line-up and 19 of the top 20 on the Rolex World Rankings headlining the field.