The four-day South-East Shootout Golf Championship organised by The African Tour came to a fitting end Saturday at the Arsenal Golf and Country Club, Obinze, near Owerri, Imo State, with Nigeria’s Francis Epe claiming the ultimate prize in dramatic fashion, Completesports.com reports.
Five countries, including hosts Nigeria, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Cameroon took part in the golf extravaganza.
Amidst amazing exhibition of pure professionalism from different angles of the golf course, Fancis Epe kept his cool to beat his compatriot, Sunday Olapade by two shots in the final match of the South-East Shootout Golf Championship to claim his maiden African Tour title.
Remarkably, the championship witnessed innovative format as the tournament was played over 90 holes, with 27 holes of stroke play on Friday, cutting the field from 28 to 8, and as well followed by three rounds of Nine-Hole Knockout stroke play to determine a winner on the final day (Saturday).
So it was not a walk in the park win for Ikoyi, Lagos golfer, Francis Epe, and Sunday Olapade who battled through the final day matches, with huge crowd lining the Fairways with each of the players coming out tops in their respective group in the semi-finals.
In the end, Epe edged out Olapade on the second hole when he (Olapade) missed a Four Footer Putt for a Par of which Francis quickly grabbed the advantage to take a stroke lead after both players made Birdies on the first.
But the game got heated when Olapade failed to find the Fairways on the fifth Par 4, that leading to a two stroke lead on the ‘Hit man’.
Epe kept cool, shape and head, grinding hard all through and in the end emerged as the winner of the day with Olapade settling for the second spot.
Epe joined the tour in February and has had five top ten finishes in his previous four starts only to claim a win this time.
Ghanaian E.k Owusu finished third after beating Port Harcourt player Mike Ubi by one shot in the 3rd/4th playoff of the thrilling South-East Shootout Golf Championship.
By San Osuji
