Nigeria’s top golfer, Sunday Olapede, has made history as the first player to achieve a treble across West Africa after winning the Cote d’Ivoire Open, Ghana’s PGA Championship, and now the 2024 CIO Golf Championship.
Olapede secured his latest victory at the 5th edition of the CIO Golf Championship, held at the Python Golf Club in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He dominated the tournament with impressive rounds of 65, 71, 69, and 66, finishing with a brilliant total score of 271, 17 under par, to top the leaderboard.
Competing against players from eight African countries, Olapede claimed the title in the N45 million purse event, solidifying his reputation as a top golfer in the region.
“I am very happy and just want to thank all who made this happen, especially the organizers and the leadership of the CIO,” Olapede said after his victory.
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This win capped off a flawless run for Olapede, who achieved a 100 per cent record across three prestigious tournaments, making him the first player to secure such a treble in West Africa.
Ikenna Okafor, CEO of Keves Global Leasing, the sponsor of the CIO Championship, praised Olapede’s accomplishment, highlighting it as a testament to the value of hard work and focus. “Olapade won the 2022 edition of the CIO Championship and watching him this year reveals the work he has invested into his game. I have some players I keep tabs on, and Olapade’s dedication sets him apart. I think he is a good example and he has thrown a challenge to the bulk of young talented field behind.”
Ikenna said the joy for him and any golf enthusiast is the quality of scores that made the leader board.
Olapade’s winning score was five shots better than Wemba Sydney, the Zambian professional who returned a 66, six under par in the closing round to pick the runner-up spot.
The trio of Monday Eze (Nigeria), Mapwanya Visitor (Zimbabwe), and Michael Bulabula tied for third place returning an aggregate 280, eight under par for the event.
The championship featured 140 professional golfers and included 240 amateur players from different parts of Nigeria and Africa.
Director of the Professional Golfers’ Association of Nigeria, Tony Philmoore said that the CIO event is the biggest golf event on the Nigerian Tour in a long while and it attests to the growth that is being experienced in the game in Nigeria.
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