SBA Golf Club hosts first tournament for Lady Captain

Golfers from all over Nigeria gathered at the Sadique Baba Abubakar Golf Club last Saturday for the first Lady Captain’s Inaugural tournament.

This event took place from May 28 to 30. It marked a new beginning for the club under the leadership of Lady Captain Mowaninuola Adeladan.

The three-day tournament included competitions for various groups, such as club professionals, caddies, veterans, ladies, and special guests. Participants came from both inside and outside the club.

The tournament started with contests for club professionals and caddies on the first day. Day two focused on the veterans, while the final day featured competitions for the ladies and guests.

At the end of the tournament, Oide Blessing won the ladies category. She had a gross score of 95 with a handicap of 29, giving her a net score of 66. She beat Ladipo Olubusola, Agnes David, Bella Smith, and Iyabo Ogunnaike.

In the men’s category, Alli Sunday took the top prize with a gross score of 71 off a handicap of 10, resulting in a net score of 62. Adenike Salihu won the guest players category with a gross score of 95 off a handicap of 24, finishing ahead of Nike Festus.

Oseni Elamah won the veterans’ category with a gross score of 101 off a handicap of 28, giving him a net score of 73. He finished ahead of Rasaki Muritala.

After the event, Lady Captain Adeladan called the tournament the start of a new era. She also highlighted the growing role of women in golf.

"This is my event, launching a new era, and after this, we are going to be having a lot of events ranging from charity tournaments to open championships. For this one, everyone strived to win, and that is the motivation and spirit of the competition," she said.

Yewande Bejide, a club executive committee member and sponsor, praised the organizing team and participants.

"Preparing for this tournament was tedious, but our Lady Captain was able to rally us all together. Despite the weather, we had a successful event, and the competition was very stiff. Everyone wanted to win something, and that competitive spirit was top-notch," Bejide said.

SBA Golf Club Vice Captain, Dr Dare Olayiwola, also expressed satisfaction with the tournament.

"We had a successful tournament, and it is the first of its kind in our club. We are very happy to start this initiative, and we are looking forward to having more successful outings in subsequent editions," he said.

Modupe Oyedutan, Vice Captain of the Ikeja Golf Club Ladies Section, praised the organizers for creating a lasting legacy.

"The tournament is historic, and it has come to stay. We will look back on this as the beginning of many more successful editions," Oyedutan said.

One of the event’s partners, United Nigeria Airlines, also confirmed its commitment to supporting golf in Nigeria.

"We believe that the golf community offers us another valuable opportunity to showcase our brand while supporting the development of the sport. What we have seen here is quite impressive," said Ebele Nebeolisa-Mokaogwe, Marketing Manager of United Nigeria Airlines.