Pedro, Olopade, Korblah and 36 others battle for winner-take-all N3m award

US-based rising golf star Tokunbo Pedro, Nigeria’s number one player Sunday Olopade and Ghana’s top golfer Amos Korblah are among the 39 stars confirmed for the Ultimate Golf Challenge in which winner takes all, billed to the Ikoyi Club Golf Section tomorrow.

The one-day, 39-place tournament guarantees the winner N3 million, among other exciting prizes.
Pedro is Nigeria’s youngest prospect, playing on the US Tour, while Amos Korblah, a series winner on the West African tour, is a leading figure on the Nigerian golf scene.

Speaking about the tournament, which attracts top professionals from across the country as well as West Africa, Ultimate Golf Challenge Grand Patron Otunba Femi Pedro promised that the 2022 competition will be bigger and better than the first two editions. , adding that it is the only one of its kind where the professionals are taken to play 36 holes in one day and the winner takes all the money.

“It not only tests the mind, it also tests the perseverance and tenacity of the players in one day.
“We started the tournament in 2019 to promote professional golf in Nigeria. In the last edition the winner got N2 million, but this year the prize has gone up to N3 million.

“For the first time in the competition, we have consolation prizes of N200,000 and N150,000 for second and third place respectively, while there are N1 million each for the closest to the pin, the best Ikoyi Club player and the best player. of the Ikoyi Club and the best golfer from outside of Nigeria.

“Each player will also receive an appearance fee of N150,000,” he said.
Pedro, a former lieutenant governor of Lagos, said that the aim of the organizers is to increase the prize money to attract players from all over the world to participate in the competition.

“We want to encourage Nigerian companies to support this competition so that we can increase the prize money in the next edition to N5 million. As I said before, the essence of the competition is to promote golf in Nigeria and we need more people and organizations to participate in the project,” he added.

He listed the competition’s sponsors to include Polaris Bank, Casava Micro Finance Bank, Mactay, Megamond, and a golf group called JAMZ, among others.

Also speaking about the competition, Local Organizing Committee Chairman Akin Semowo revealed that the competition will start at 6:00 am and end around 4:00 pm, adding that golf enthusiasts and other sports fans they are invited to come and follow the progress of the players from the tee to the end of the competition.

“We have food, drinks and other forms of entertainment for everyone. The amount mentioned as consolation prizes may change upwards because we have been receiving inquiries from people who want to support the tournament.

“We look forward to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s ceremonial tee off on Thursday and pray that what happened last time will happen again this year.”