Over 200 golfers battle for honours at Dooley invitational tourney

Over 200 players, including 35 professionals, are vying for various prizes at the Garth Dooley @70 Pro/Am Invitational Tournament, which teed off at the Benin Club Golf Section (BCGS), on Tuesday.

The five-day tournament in the Edo State capital, which will end on Saturday, is sponsored by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) to celebrate the quintessential foreign investor that has made Benin his home.

Explaining the decision to celebrate Dolley with a golf tournament, chairman of the organising committee, Kingsley Okunbor, a former BCGS Captain, said: “We are celebrating one of our own, who has contributed in no small measure to golf and the social economic fabric of our state that he calls home.

“We are grateful to the sponsors PINL and we look forward to celebration of life at 70 for Garth, a jolly good fellow with this mega golf tournament.” The event schedule shows that caddies and youths teed off on Tuesday and yesterday respectively, while men with handicap (HCP) 19 to 28, ladies HCP 29 to 36, veteran men’s and ladies, as well as super veteran men’s and ladies will take to the course today.

The main competition, featuring men with HCP 0 to 18, ladies HCP 0 to 28, as well as invited pros will compete tomorrow to determine those that will meet the cut for the final day round on Saturday.

The final round on Saturday will also see guests (men and ladies)and players that qualified from previous day’s contests going for the laurels before the presentation ceremony and dinner party will hold later in the evening.

The participating golfers are drawn from the UBTH Golf Club, Ikoyi Golf Club, IBB Golf and Country Club, Abuja, Ibori Golf and Country Club (IGCC), Asaba, Ogunmu Golf Resort, Sapele Athletic Club Golf Section, Ibadan Golf Club and PortHarcourt Golf Club, among others.