PGAN committed to putting Nigerian golfers on world stage, says Lawal

Nigeria will soon become an exporter of international standard golf players to the world, the Professional Golfers Association of Nigeria (PGAN) has said.

The PGAN has recently started programmes to enhance the standards of the country’s players, the latest being hosting of officials of Professional Golfers Association of Europe top officials on a working visit in Lagos.

The visit, according top PGAN, is part of the programmes aimed at providing the platform for the country’s players to compete successfully with their peers across the world.

Speaking during the recent visit of officials of the PGAs of Europe to Nigeria, PGAN’s Executive Director, Samson Lawal, said the association was looking at different ways of giving Nigerian players the lift they need to develop the game.

He said, “The inspection visit is to fulfil the last of the conditions for full membership of the PGAs of Europe.
“This will also enable our members to benefit from all the opportunities that are available to members of PGAs of Europe.”

The PGAs of Europe officials were led by PGAs of Europe’s Director of Golf Development, Martin Westphalia, who said they were in the country to look at ways of affiliating PGAN to the PGAs of Europe.

Westphalia, said, “What is being done here today is history in the making, the results may not be immediately. It might take 10 to 15 years but PGA of Nigeria will be better for it.

“I believe that this is going to be a good experience for me also, learning and understanding how things work in this county.”

The PGAs of Europe’s Director of Golf Development, who inspected facilities at Ikoyi Club and IBB Golf and Country Club, urged the PGAN to partner with the Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF) in its talent hunt.

He explained: “I believe so much in the power of education so we must teach these young ones early enough to be educated and to understand golf.

“They need to be educated not just about golf but whatever area of specialization.”