It's a hard-fought win for me to emerge as golf champion, says Isaiah

Posted : 13 February 2025

Isaiah Okonofua and Faeren Kuma emerged as winners of the Tukur Yusuf Buratai (TYB) International Golf Resort and Country Club, Abuja, single match play finals in the men’s and ladies’ categories.

The match play trials, which began in 2024, saw the four finalists progress through seven rigorous stages to reach the grand finale.

The match play event was held alongside the TYB New Year Kitty.

The men’s single match play was a closely contested battle between Okonofua, playing off a handicap of 10, and AVM Ladan, who played off a handicap of 18.

The match went all the way to the final hole, with Okonofua securing a one-up victory to emerge as the category winner.

In an interview, Okonofua described his win as a hard-fought victory, highlighting his remarkable comeback from the brink of defeat.

“I started poorly and was already four down at hole 7, but I told myself I was going to fight back doggedly.

“Indeed, the competitor in me emerged, and I began playing better on the back nine, ultimately securing victory at hole 18.

“It was a very tough match play. My opponent is an outstanding golfer, but I gave him a strong challenge and put up a good performance to claim victory,” he said.

In the ladies’ single match play category, Kuma, playing off a handicap of 35, defeated Sarah Kudi, who played off a handicap of 25, by two holes with one to go.

Kuma started strongly on the front nine but allowed Kudi back into the game due to some nervous moments on the back nine.

However, she recovered at the right time to secure a comfortable win with two holes left.

“I started very well and was leading by five up before my nerves got the better of me, allowing my opponent to square.

“Luckily, I was able to regain my confidence at the right time and bounced back two up with one hole to spare.

“It wasn’t an easy feat, but I thank God for giving me the victory,” she said.

The pair of Philip Kum and Sam Anyande emerged as winners of the TYB men’s double match play category after defeating the duo of Chile Ushahonba and Stephen Godwin.

In other results, Longdi Paul won the best gross ladies’ prize after returning a gross score of 95.

Becky Danladi won the best net prize after playing off a handicap of 24 and returning a score of 95 gross and 71 net.

The longest drive men’s prize went to Lyon Iyke, while the longest drive ladies’ prize was won by Yemi Sola. Timothy Mike took home the nearest-to-the-pin men’s prize.

In his remarks, Ali Peters, the Vice Captain of the club, said it was an exciting feeling to return for the beginning of a new golfing year.

Peters revealed that the club would soon have a new look, with ongoing construction of a world-class practice range and upgrades to some of its facilities.

“It’s great to be back—we’ve missed the course, its challenges, the camaraderie, the golfing banter, and networking with friends.

“We have many tournaments lined up for the year, and this is just the beginning. There is a lot of work to be done in terms of upgrading and maintaining our lush green course.

“We are implementing a reticulation system on our front and back nine and have built a 10,000-litre tank with a network of pipes to ensure our greens and fairways remain in top condition year-round.

“Since the inception of this club, we haven’t had a standard driving range. We have been using a makeshift range.

“So, we’ve now built a proper range, and we’re just adding the finishing touches. We will be commissioning it soon,” he said.

Peters thanked the Life Patron, Grand Patron, Patron, and Captain of the club, Maj.-Gen. Samson Jiya, along with the executives and members, for their support, commitment, and personal contributions to the club’s success, growth, and development.

The Lady Captain, Maureen Apute, noted that expectations were high, with the ladies’ section set to host numerous exciting world-class events throughout the year.

“First of all, let me take this opportunity to congratulate everyone who made it into the New Year. The past year was hectic and challenging, but we thank God for life.

“We welcome everyone back to our lush green course and wish them a great golfing year ahead as we look forward to hosting many exciting world-class events,” she said.

It's a hard-fought win for me to emerge as golf champion, says Isaiah

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