Oyome outshines rivals to win Ikoyi Ladies Golf crown

The President of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria, Evelyn Oyome, lived up to her title as she emerged overall gross winner of the prestigious Queen of the Greens Ikoyi Ladies Golf Championship recently held at Ikoyi Golf Club, Lagos. The two-day tournament witnessed top female golfers from across the country battling for supremacy on […]

The President of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria, Evelyn Oyome, lived up to her title as she emerged overall gross winner of the prestigious Queen of the Greens Ikoyi Ladies Golf Championship recently held at Ikoyi Golf Club, Lagos.

The two-day tournament witnessed top female golfers from across the country battling for supremacy on the lush greens. Oyome clinched victory with an impressive 168 gross score, outplaying close contenders Fatumata Coker and Lynda Obieze, who finished as first and second runners-up with 174 and 175 strokes respectively.

Pat Ozoemene narrowly missed the podium, settling for fourth place with 176 strokes. Other top performers included Carol Majoro (186 strokes), Ronke Iyiola (188), and Ifeoma Obata (197), who placed fifth, sixth, and seventh respectively.

In the Overall Net category, Seline Hainsworth emerged champion with 144 strokes. Dammy Oruwari followed closely behind with 145 strokes to claim the first runner-up position, while Karin Ekpe rounded out the top three with a net score of 150.

The event celebrated not only competitive excellence but also the growing influence and camaraderie of women in Nigerian golf.

Speaking about the competition, the Chairperson of the ‘Queen of the Greens’ Championship Organising Committee, Mrs. Deola Banjoko, noted that: “The championship is one of our highlights events for the year, because this is where we compete for that crown, and select persons that will represent us for the later competition. It is the time of the year when we choose the queen, our ladies’ champion for the year. So, this is it.

“And this year, it’s fiercely contested. The ladies they’ve gone all out for the crown, and it is very impressive. They trained very intensely, mentally and physically. And our theme for the year is ‘Queens of the Green’.

“The theme conveys two messages: it talks about the ladies themselves, their queenly strengths, and how deeply they love golf, which also shows they train and give it all that is required.

“And secondly, the theme represents our passion for the environment. Our lady captain, Mrs. Peggy Onwu, she’s dedicated this year to sustainability, eco-friendliness, and preservation of our green environment and the ecosystem. This is all to create a little more environmental awareness among ourselves.

Also speaking, the Overall Net Winner, also the Handicap Secretary for the Ikoyi Ladies Golf, Hainsworth, noted that: “I’ve been playing golf for quite a few years, and I am a very competitive player.

“The Ikoyi Ladies Championship is an annual two-day competition that attracts guests and members. The tournament is divided into gross and net categories, with the latter using handicaps to determine scores.

“Our goal is to attract more players, especially younger ones, through our children’s academy. Golf is a game of integrity, honesty, and self-challenge. It teaches valuable life skills like self-reliance, patience, and empathy.

“As for the competition, the ultimate goal is to learn to lower your handicap and potentially become a professional golfer. We hope to produce a pro from Ikoyi Golf Club one day.”