Military chief claims top prize at MTN Golf Championship

Golfers and enthusiasts of the sport were treated to an exciting tournament sponsored by MTN Nigeria at the luxuriant Lakowe Lakes over the weekend.

The 18-hole world class championship golf course is situated along the Lekki–Epe axis in Lagos.

The one-day MTN Golf Championship featured captains of industries, technocrats and administrators such as Uyi Akpata, senior country manager, PriceWaterCoopers (PWC); Kate Iketubosin, managing director, Stern & Kay Consulting Limited; Obinnia Abajue, executive director, PBB, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc and Demola Mumuney, former captain of the Ikoyi Club Golf section.

Speaking at the event, Mike Ikpoki, chief executive officer of MTN Nigeria, reiterated the company’s unwavering commitment to the development of the game in Nigeria. He also expressed delight at the massive turnout of golfers for the tourney, saying it was a demonstration the company’s determination to be an enabler to Nigerians.

“Our sponsorship of golf is not just a unique opportunity to connect our high-value stakeholders but equally reinforces our role as an enabler of socio-economic development across several fronts in Nigeria,” Ikpoki said.

“It is in furtherance of these goals we have created a bouquet of innovative products and value-adding services such as Diamond Y’ello Account, MTN Wifi Roaming, MTN OneBox, MTN App Store, MTN Xtra Time, MTN SME Plus and MTN Smart Number. These services are designed to empower business men, executives and leaders to achieve new heights in their individual and business aspirations.”

He noted that by combining the power of MTN’s world-class data network and top of the range M2M service platform, the firm was demonstrating its commitment to providing innovative business solutions including device management, and control and monitoring tools to Corporate Nigeria.

In the male net category of the competition, Monday Morgan (pictured), an air vice marshal and commandant, Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi, played off Handicap 18 and carded an impressive score of 91 gross and 73 net to finish tops, ahead of 14 handicapper, Shina Luwoye, who came second with 88 gross and 74 net, and Mukoro Voka, a 13 handicapper, who was third, with 87 gross and 74 net.

Playing off Handicap 30, Toyin Caxton-Martins, executive secretary, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA, won the female net category, after carding 102 gross and 72 net. She was followed by 25 handicapper, Linda Obieze with 106 gross and 81 net and Olabisi Luwoye, a 22 handicapper with 106 gross and 84 net.

For their efforts, the winners received an all-expense-paid golfing weekend in George, South Africa, plus a trophy and three-month data subscription bundle, while the runners-up were rewarded with a trophy as well as a golfing weekend at the Le Meridien Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort, Uyo and free one-month data subscription.

In the gross men category, Peter Eben-Spiff, a two handicapper, came tops on the course with 79 gross and 77 net, while in the women category, Kate Iketubosin, a 26 handicapper, took home top honours with 101 gross and 75 net. Both winners went home with a trophy and all-expense-paid golfing weekend in Fancourt, George, South Africa’s premier golf resort with a free three-month data subscription bundle.

In the longest drive to the hole, Gui Zhi won in the male category while Kate Iketubosin came tops after lots were picked in the female category. Edward Egesi won the nearest to the pin competition.

As part of this maiden edition of the MTN Golf Championship, non-players of the game were treated to a clinic where they were taken through the rudiments of golf. They also competed among themselves for honours in the longest drive, nearest to the pin, bunker shot and approach shot categories.

Vernon Van Rooyen, chief operating officer of Vodacom; Nneka Enwelu, CEO of Charleson Industrial Supplies Ltd and Ken Adejumoh of C&F Porter Novelli came first, second and third, respectively in the longest drive category.

In the nearest to the pin and approach shot categories, Usman Bawa, deputy chairman of the federal house of representatives committee on communications, came tops, with Femi Arosonoye and Adebayo Oyagbola, principal partner, Oyagbola Chambers coming second and third, respectively.

In the bunker shot, Obosa Akpata was declared the winner, with Vernon Van Rooyen and Wole Oladunjoye coming second and third, to round off an exciting day of golfing. All the winners received a 43-inch flat screen television and a trophy while the runners-up went home with refrigerators.

MTN started the Nigerian edition of the World Golfers Championship, the world’s largest amateur golf tournament, in 2007.