Sunday Olapade wins 2024 CIO golf championship

Sunday Olapade is the winner of the 5th edition CIO golf championship. 

Olapade clinched the title on Sunday after shooting 65, 71, 69, and 66 on each of the event’s days to top the leaderboard at the Python Golf Club in Port-Harcourt, Rivers,  with a brilliant score of 271, 17 under par.

He defeated players from eight other African countries that featured at the N45 million-naira purse annual competition.

“I am very happy and just want to thank all who made this happen, especially the organizers and the leadership of the CIO,” Olapade said.

The win at Python Golf Club sealed Olapade’s 100 percent entry record in three tournaments. He had previously won the Cote d’Ivoire Open and Ghana’s PGA Championship in succession, making him the first player to achieve a treble across West Africa in a stretch.

Ikenna Okafor, the CEO of Keves Global Leasing and sponsor of the CIO championship, said Olapade’s feat underscored how hard work and focus are essential tools for success.

“Olapade won the 2022 edition of the CIO championship, and watching him this year reveals the work he has invested into his game. I have some players I keep tabs on, and Olapade’s dedication sets him apart. I think he is a good example, and he has thrown a challenge to the bulk of the young, talented field behind. The players are returning great scores,” he said.

Olapade’s winning score was five shots better than Wemba Sydney, the Zambian professional, who returned a 66, six under par in the closing round to pick the runner-up spot.

The trio of Monday Eze of Nigeria, Mapwanya Visitor of Zimbabwe, and Michael Bulabula tied for third place after returning an aggregate 280, 8 under par for the event.

The championship featured 140 professional golfers and 240 amateur players from different parts of Nigeria and Africa.

Meanwhile, Tony Philmoore, director of the Professional Golfers’ Association of Nigeria (PGAN), has said that CIO’s status as the biggest golf event on the Nigerian Tour in a long while attests to the growth being experienced in the sport in Nigeria.

“We have laboured for this outcome and we are happy that the right partnerships are birthing landmark events like this and can only be grateful to all that made it happen,” Philmoore said.