African Players Boost Inaugural LPGAN Tourney

Lady professional golfers from across Africa have offered support for the inaugural Ladies Professional Golfers Association of Nigeria (LPGAN) pro-am tournament billed for Abuja from February 15 to 18, 2018.

The brain behind the tour, Uloma Mbuko, remarked yesterday that several players of African extraction are backing Nigeria to oversee the affairs of the ladies professional golfers in the West African region.

The players reached the resolution when they met at the end of last year in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea.

THISDAY gathered that those in support of the tour include Silvie Djoko, Cameroon; Marian Soda Ndiaye, Oumy Di Eye Deck, Senegal; Vivian Kouame, Chantal Kouadio, Cote D’Ivoire; Flavia Namakula, Uganda; and Lucie Opayinka and Evelyn Oboh; Nigeria.

The 72-hole stroke play contest over IBB International Golf and Country Club is open to female players within Handicap 0-12 category upon the payment of N25, 000 (amateur) and N36,000 entry fees for professionals.

The LPGAN similarly intends to take charge of all the players professional needs in Nigeria, including organising qualifying school for female golfers aspiring to become professional and creating platform for players to forge strong alliance with their sponsors.

The LPGAN Tour, according to Mboku is seeking to become one of the strongest tours in Africa.

To actualise that, she said LPGAN is working with the Ladies Sunshine Tour of South Africa, Ladies European Tour (LET) and Ladies Professional Golfers Association of America (LPGA) for international affiliation and educational upgrading of the members.