FRANCIS Epe has emerged as the winner of the eTranzact Golf Classic, defeating about 80 other professional golfers from across Nigeria and other countries.
The tournament, which held from Thursday, April 27 to Saturday, April 29, 2023 at the Lakowe Lakes Golf Estate, off Lekki-Epe expressway, Lagos, had both category one amateur golfers and professionals slugging it out for the fun and glory while gathering ranking points on the Professional Golfers Development Tour.
While presenting the championship trophy to the winner at the closing ceremony, the MD/CEO, eTranzact, Niyi Toluwalope, expressed satisfaction with the quality of competition and high standard of the game on display, promising that the fintech company would be a long-term partner with the golf club.
He said, “We are happy to support professional golfers with an opportunity like this to further develop their game towards excelling at the international level while also providing the business community with the appropriate atmosphere to meet and drive innovations. Innovation is the hallmark of the eTranzact brand and it is the essence of our investment in this tournament.
“I hope that the event has been a fun-filled one for all our guests and contestants. I hope that skills have been learnt, people have met each other, ideas have been shared and collaborations are being initiated.”
He went on to present a cheque of N1.5 million to the champion with the runners up also receiving cash prizes and other gift items from eTranzact. He also presented several consolation prizes across different categories, explaining that the eTranzact Golf Classic had been designed to ensure that everyone is a winner.
Francis Epe from the Ikoyi Club 1938 Lagos grossed 210 points with six-under-par score to win the 54-hole tournament. The second position was jointly won by the trio of Ayisah Anan Lucky of Achimota Golf Club, Ghana, Bako Kamalu of IBB International Golf and Country club, Abuja and Mike Ubi of Python Golf Club, Port Harcourt, all tied at 212, after 54 holes.
The champion, Epe, expressed gratitude to eTranzact for sponsoring the tournament and investing in the careers of several professional golf players. He acknowledged the platform as one that would help to develop the sport in Nigeria.
For the category one amateurs, Oluremi Olukoya emerged as the winner with Emmanuel Samuel and Oluwatoba Olusegun placing second and third.
There were also prizes in the ladies’ category where Funke Oguntonade won for the longest drive, leaving Jummai Abdullahi with the runner-up prize. Jason Kim won for the men.
The guest amateur players at the event had Dr Vitus Ezenwa with nine-handicap being crowned winner while Lanre Shagaya and Yemi Ajibola picked the second and third place honours, respectively.
The Professional Golfers Development Tour management team commended eTranzact. According to Lakowe Lakes Golf Manager, Femi Olagbenro, although it was the third edition of the competition, their partnership with eTranzact has taken things several steps further. He explained that the game of golf brings togetherness and fosters relationships and collaborations beyond the field, which are the values that resonate with a brand like eTranzact.
Members of staff and management of eTranzact also had a share of the fun in a mini contest that saw members of the team testing their golf skills and going home with cash prizes and some other branded gifts.
Chairman, Board of Directors, Mr Wole Abegunde, commended his team for supporting golf professionals in Nigeria. He said, “We need to develop golf in Nigeria. Look at the US Tour today, top competitors from Asia have taken over it. They came from their countries; they didn’t grow up in the US and they are earning the dollars.
“Like I have always said, if the likes of Jay Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Mikel Obi can go to the UK to play in the premier league and earn a lot of money for themselves and their relations in Nigeria, then our golf players in Nigeria, if well supported in terms of tournament and infrastructure, can also make it big,” he said.
The eTranzact Classic had N10 million as the total purse for the professionals, while category one amateurs who played along with the professionals had gift vouchers for their effort.
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