The Lagos Amateur Open Golf Championship is here again as activities have been lined up to make the edition a memorable and rewarding for participants. Lead sponsor of the amateur golf tourney, First Bank of Nigeria who has backed the championship that has churned out talents for many decades, stated that this year’s championship which is the 62nd edition will hold from Thursday, November 16th to Saturday, November 18th at the iconic Ikoyi Golf course where champions in different cadres will be crowned again.
The organizer noted that two hundred and twenty amateur golfers registered for the competition in which 200 will partake in the tournament and the opening day is set aside for the First Bank Corporate Golf category and ‘Challenge for Charity’ session aimed at raising funds for charity where N10m will be shared by two charity organisation carefully selected.
It was added that the Golf Coaching Clinic will hold for two days culminating in the Professional Amateur (ProAm) Championship. The winner goes home with N4m.
Executive Director and Chief Risk Officer of First Bank of Nigeria, Mr Olusegun Alebiosu stated that the bank is elated to make this year’s golf championship a memorable one laced with juicy packages for different categories. In a media session held at the premises of Ikoyi Golf Club, he said that “the annual event attracts the best amateur golfers domestically and internationally, having achieved the status of the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) event, administered by the R&A and USGA.
This status has given the Championship a heightened level of recognition on the world stage as far as amateur golf championships are concerned.”
“For 62 years, FirstBank’s ownership of the Lagos Amateur Open Golf Championship has enhanced the First Bank brand under the First@sports initiative, First Bank will this year be celebrating the 62nd edition of the First Bank Lagos Amateur Open Golf Championship. Over the years, First Bank has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the development of sporting talent in Nigeria, as part of its legacy sports initiatives which includes Golf, Polo and Tennis.”
Abiona Babarinde, General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communication, Coscharis Group said that partnering the Lagos Amateur Open Championship resonates with the image of the company as one who goes for the best and partners with the premium sport. “Coscharis Group brings to bear the WOW factor and are partnering with golf tourney to bring out the best in the athletes in the spirit of Sportsmanship.
Babarinde added that the company will offer a brand new Ford Xcape SUV to the winner of ‘a hole in one’, aimed at adding value to the championship.
Mr Wahab Sarumi, captain of the Ikoyi Golf Club noted that this year’s edition will attract two hundred golfers who will slug it out and he commended the sponsors- First Bank of Nigeria, Coscharis Group, Pepsi, Singleton and others for supporting the sport adding that this had yielded result with the Amateur Golf Championship attaining the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) status.
Alebiosu, answering questions from journalists noted that the First Bank would partner the championship for the next 62 years and perhaps introduce the Professional Golf Competition when the time is right for it.
“The game of golf is an aspirational sport in Nigeria and the world at large. It cuts across age, gender, differing abilities and allows the enjoyment of a fun and healthy competitive recreation.
Fundamentally, golf fosters relationship building – there is no place better to build, deepen, and strengthen relationships than on the golf course. This edition of the First Bank Lagos Amateur Open Golf Championship is the 62nd and the longest-running known golf competition sponsorship in this part of the world,” he added.
