For a second B&E title after winning the 2017 edition, it was all over when Visitor Mapwanya walked in his 25-foot eagle putt Thursday on the 17th green at Lakowe Lakes Golf and Country Estates.
The Zimbabwean gave a heavy fist pump as his golf ball dropped down the center of the cup, extending his lead over Emos korblah to five shots at the penultimate hole and victory all but secured at the B&E matchplay in Lakowe.
Mapwanya shot 11 under par 277 for the week in Lagos and overcame a rocky final-round start to lock up the five-shot win. All this happened just weeks after playing second fiddle to Ghana’s Vincent Torgah at the First October Championship held at the Port-Harcourt Golf Club in Rivers State.
Mapwanya had finished inside the top 5 in each of his last three starts here in Lakowe , including six consecutive top-10s in the 2017 & 2018 seasons.
It was the third African Tour win overall for the 28-year old and it came at a fitting venue. The Lakowe Lakes course that is lined with Aceraceae trees is one of the toughest courses in Nigeria and a place where accuracy still counts for something, unlike many of today’s bomber-friendly layouts around the West African region.
Experience counts for something and helps explain Ghana’s Veteran golfer Emos Korblah solo second finish at age 56, with a cumulative score of 282 representing six under par over 72 holes.
Solomon Ideriah who briefly held a first-round lead had a great show as Port-Harcourt based professional posted a two-under 70 in the final round and finished solo third at 4- under.
Round two leaders Nigeria’s Sunday Olapade and Ghana’s Kwame Ligbidi were tied 4th at 1-under, after the duo carded 73 and 72 respectively in the final round, with both players grossing a total of 277 over four days of golfing action.
Georgia Oboh returned to the club house on the final day with a one over par 73, an improvement on her previous three rounds of 78,77, and 77 for a 19th place finish. The 18-year old lady professional believes ‘there is an improvement in her game’.
“I’m only trying to build my game ahead of the Olympic games, the plan is to represent Nigeria in Tokyo 2020 or Paris in 2024, and I think I’m improving”. She said in an interview.
Twenty-two players made the cut as the tour continues to validate its credibility with only the best players within the region throwing their hats in the ring, while competing for purse prizes. Up next on the Tour is the ‘Nigeria Masters’ in November.
Submitted by The African Tour
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