Date: 2017-07-05

Elite golf players across the West African region have started sending in entries to be part of the Kwara @50 Pro-Am Championship billed to hold at the Ilorin Golf Club from July 11 to 16, 2017.

Top on the bill is Nigerian-born South Africa-based Oche Andrew Odoh who has only featured once in the country this season. Odoh, is perhaps the most respected player in the region and stressed that the event resonates with his career plan; especially being a key event on the Nigeria Tour this season.

Other players billed to grace the six-day championship are Ghana's Emos Korblah, Togo's Agbavon Kosivi and Cameroon's top star Desire Ebela.

Resident professional of the host club and former Nigeria's number one, Friday Adache, and club-mate Mustapha Abdullahi, will be hoping to make a strong claim for the title along with other budding local stars including the current best player in the country, Ikoyi-based Francis Ekpe.

The main sponsor for the tournament is BUA Group. Other sponsors are Sterling Bank, ICMA Professional Services, Yolas Consultants Limited, Lanre Shittu Motors, Chelform Limited and Chief Kunle Oyinloye, Managing Director, Infrastructure Bank.

Captain of the host club, Layi Maliki, said yesterday that the club remains honoured to host these top athletes and the development will spur golf development in diverse ways.

"Our facility is presently receiving a facelift to meet some respectable standard expected of an event of this calibre. I am equally sure their top players would inspire a number of local players here too," he said.

Maliki added that the event is also expected to impact on commercial activities in and around the golf course.

Already more than 200 players are expected to tee-off at the event, with professionals' round running from July 11 to 14 while amateur players from different parts of the country will compete over 36-holes on July 15th and 16th.

Luqman Owolewa, the Managing Director of Sluqfort, the consulting firm that puts the event together said that, it was designed to throw up the tourism potential of the state.

"This is one way in which the government is promoting the tourism potential of Kwara State and showcasing it, as the local destination of choice," he concluded.