Epe leads Nigerian charge to secure SDT qualification spots

Francis Epe headlined a strong Nigerian showing at the Sunshine Developmental Tour (SDT) Qualifying School, as he and several compatriots secured places for the next stage of the tour. Nigerian golfers claimed 14 of the 20 available tickets at the event held at Lakowe Lakes Golf Course in Lagos, underlining the country’s growing depth in […]

Francis Epe headlined a strong Nigerian showing at the Sunshine Developmental Tour (SDT) Qualifying School, as he and several compatriots secured places for the next stage of the tour.

Nigerian golfers claimed 14 of the 20 available tickets at the event held at Lakowe Lakes Golf Course in Lagos, underlining the country’s growing depth in professional golf. The field featured top players from across West Africa, including Ghana, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire, but it was the Nigerians who set the pace.

Epe, a former Nigerian number one, delivered a dominant performance to finish top of the leaderboard with a commanding nine-shot lead. He returned rounds of 73, 69, and 67 for a total of 209, comfortably ahead of the chasing pack.

“I’m really pleased with how I played this week. I stayed patient, trusted my game, and tried to keep things simple out there. Coming into the final round with the lead, the focus was just to stay composed and take it one shot at a time. To finish the way I did is very satisfying. This means a lot, especially playing at home, and it gives me a lot of confidence going into the Tour season.

“I am happy to be the winner of this Qualifying School. It is an honour I truly cherish, and I look forward to making the best use of this opportunity,” Epe said after the event.

Behind him, Dzadey Barry of Ghana and Nigeria’s Bako Kamalu and Okoko Godwin shared second place after each posted a three-day total of 218 (+2).

The SDT serves as a pathway to the prestigious Sunshine Tour, offering emerging professionals an opportunity to compete at one of the world’s leading golf circuits.

David Kihara, director of SDT, said the Lagos event aligns with the Tour’s vision of strengthening African representation on the Sunshine Tour.

“I think the golf potential of Nigeria and other countries represented here is understated based on the performances of the past three days, and the facilities are top-notch,” Kahira said.

Femi Olagbenro, golf manager at Lakowe Lakes Golf Estate, said the tickets will enhance high-level golf across the West African region.

“We believe the exposure these SDT tickets provide will propel Nigerian and other West African professionals to greater global relevance, and we are willing to support initiatives like this while looking forward to strengthening our partnership with the SDT in the future,” he said.

Other notable qualifiers included Andrew Odoh, Manasseh Augustine, Vincent Torgah, Tajudeen Ajayi, Udum Sateer, Inalegwu George, Richard Kouakou, Monday Eze, and Jean-Romaric Kouassi, reflecting a strong regional presence heading into the SDT.