The Ilorin Golf Club is buzzing with anticipation as it prepares to host the second annual ICMA Professional Services Pro-Am Golf Tournament this week. The event, which carries a substantial (#15,000,000) Fifty Million Naira prize purse for the professionals, was formally announced at a press gathering by organizers and sponsors held at Ilorin golf Club, GRA Ilorin.
Mallam Farooq Ismail, a principal partner with ICMA Professional Services and Chairman in Lord and Lord Crow at 57th Regional, confirmed that the decision to establish the annual tournament in Ilorin was made last year, partly driven by the persistent advocacy of the club’s Captain, Mr. Babajide Allen.
“This is just our own way of giving back to our community, getting involved with our people,” said Mallam Ismail, noting that the event is intended to be an annual fixture. He also expressed confidence that the caliber of attendees would ensure significant media coverage.
The tournament structure spans several days, beginning with competitor arrivals on Wednesday and concluding with the closing ceremony and prize presentation on Sunday evening.
The competition officially gets underway on Thursday, October 30th, with the first day of play for Professionals (including the Regular, Women’s, and Senior Tours) and Category 1 players.
Thursday (Day 1): Professionals and Category 1 players begin.
Friday (Day 2): The second day of professional play.
After Day 2, the field will be cut, with the best 35 regular professionals, along with the top seniors and female golfers, advancing to the weekend rounds. A welcome cocktail will be held for amateurs in the evening.
Saturday (Day 3): The final round for professionals who made the cut. Amateurs begin their competition on this day, with about 170 amateurs playing alongside the advancing professionals, leading to an expected gathering of no less than 220 golfers on the course.
Sunday (Final Day): The final rounds for all remaining competitors, culminating in the Closing Ceremony at 7:00 PM for trophy and prize presentations.
A total of 106 professionals have registered for the event, alongside approximately 170 amateurs and about 20 Category 1 players, bringing the total registered player count to nearly 300. Golfers from outside Nigeria, including representatives from Ghana and Cameroon who are members of the Nigerian Professional Golfers Association, are also expected to participate.
In response to press questions, the club leadership emphasized their strong commitment to grassroots development. They highlighted their tradition of setting aside every Monday for young caddies to play golf, aiming to dispel the notion that the sport is only for the wealthy.
The club noted that many of their current players, including the resident professional, are products of this system, having started as caddies and later encouraged to play, even up to the professional level.
Furthermore, they confirmed that ICMA has sponsored junior golf events for 14 years in Lagos—a competition on the World Golf Ranking specifically for players under 15.
The club’s leadership expressed sincere gratitude to ICMA for its continued sponsorship, noting that the event has once again placed the Ilorin Golf Club “on the map of the golfing community… in this country.”
