Benin Club Golf Section (BCGC) was in festive mood at the weekend when the club celebrated one of its own, Garth Dooley, with a kitty on his 70th birthday. It was a day of topclass golf action and classic entertainment with the members of the club coming out one after the other to commend the celebrant for his contributions to the club and the society at large.

On the golf course, Osazee Iyare with a net score of 134 over two days emerged overall champion at the competition christened “Garth Dooley @ 70 Pro/Am Invitational Tournament.”

The five-day tournament was sponsored by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) to celebrate Garth Dooley, an icon, and a quintessential foreign investor that has taken Benin City as his home town.

Placing second and third respectively in the men’s hcp 0 -18 were Esosa Ojomo and Felix Aganmwonyi, while Jude Igbinadolor won the best gross award with a score of 170.

Speaking at the prize giving ceremony, the Organising Committee Chairman, Kingsley Okunbor, a former captain of the club, described Dooley as a brother whose contributions to the development of golf in BCGS and other clubs across Nigeria are immeasurable.

“We are very happy to be celebrating one of our own, Garth Dooley, a jolly good fellow with this mega golf tournament. We are grateful to the tournament sponsors, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited; Captain of BCGS, Joseph Idahosa aka Zaza and members for their show of love and support to this great man,” he said.

Excited by the encomiums bestowed on him, an emotional Dooley thanked the organisers, the management of BCGS, members and guests across the country for honouring him at 70 with a five-day tournament that also featured professionals.

He promised that the tournament would spur him to do more for the club and for the country.
Other winners at the tournament were Ade Edeki, who took the men’s hcp 19 – 28, Prince Austin Eweka (veteran’s men) and Dr Gabriel Ihenyen, who clinched the super veteran men’s category.

Joy Omorogiuwa won the ladies hcp 0 – 28 category with 137 net over two days, Ehis Igbinadolor, with 167 gross, won the best gross award, while J. Ogbeifun emerged victorious in hcp 29 – 36.

Former Lady Captain, Juliet Ugiagbe, won the ladies veterans category, just as Prof. Josephine Mokwunyei claimed the super veterans event.

The tournament featured 35 invited professionals from the southern zone and over 150 amateurs from clubs across the country.