Ikoyi Club’s Francis Epe currently leads the chase for the 4th CIO Golf Classic at the Python Golf Club in Rivers State, with nine-under from 36-hole play.
Epe, who is also the Nigeria Professional Golfers’ Association topmost ranked player leads the entire 109 field on participants with five strokes advantage from 66 and 69 on his two rounds. Two home-based golfers, Gift Willy, and Udom Sateer are tied for second place, with four under par.
Epe said: “I am very focused on keeping the momentum around my game and hope to be able to take this to the weekend. The CIO Classic is one of the biggest events on Tour, and every player wants to add this to their list of wins.”
Players from Ghana, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, and Ivory Coast are presently vying with Nigerians for the 22-million-naira total purse at stake for the event.
Chief Executive of the sponsoring company, Keves Global Leasing Limited, Ikenna Okafor, said that the event is a brilliant showcase of the abundance of talent across the continent.
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“Nigerians naturally are very talented, and golf is one of the sports that has in recent times been an expression of our sportsmanship. Our goal is to make this event a platform for celebration of the possibilities around our youthfulness.”
Okafor said that he hopes the life lessons and the values that the game of golf teaches help mould the players to become better members of society.
Amateur players will join the fray tomorrow for a 36-hole contest that will round off the event on Sunday, November 12.
Other top professional players within the brackets of giving the 4th CIO Classic a chase include Ugandan, Ronald Rugumayo and Defending Champion, Sunday Olapade who are two under par apiece. Others are Nigeria’s Oche Odoh and Cameroonian Bulabula Michelle.