Oyebanji Returns, Drops in Ranking
Gboyega Oyebanji, Lagos based former Nigeria's number one pro golfer returned to the country last week from the United Kingdom, the same week he dropped off the top ten of the local professional ranking.
'Teco' as he is popularly called is perhaps the Nigerian with the best international performance in recent time and had been trying his hand on other Tours hoping to break into the bigger league.
He told Golfx.blogspot.com that while in England he had tried his hand on the Jamega Tour, the most popular Mini Tour in the country where on invite he participated in three event which he said his best was an eleventh place finish at one of them.
According to him, "I played the Jamega Tour; they also have very good players especially players from other bigger tours (Challenge and European Tours) also play on the Tour.
His return, as a former number one could distort the arrangement of the order of merit and slim many players' chance when another PGA event is played. Although it is not confirmed if the Pros would be part of the Nigeria Cup (independent event at Ikoyi Golf Club in Lagos), otherwise Teco's test may be a journey to the St. mark Golf and Country's Club in Otupko Benue State in the second week of October.
Oyebanji would not bulge anyway, given that he lifted the trophy when he last played on the course. But the rising profile of Abdullahi Ali, the budding Zaria Golf Club youngster that lifted the Peugeot Pro-Am in Paris last month and the new found form of Oche Odoh and Umoh Edet who are billed for the World Cup in Malaysia could be tough nuts for him.
Meanwhile the PGA of Nigeria last week also updated its ranking and made some adjustments in the players rating in consonance with the point they gathered, especially reflecting their performance at the 2 nd Osun Open that was concluded at the MicCom Golf and country Club in Ada early in the month.
Emos Korblah still tops the Nigerian ranking, a position he has held since April, but the margin has now slimmed meaning any shabby outing now could weed him out to as far as being away from the top three. That is of course if some players who occupy that slot perform better than him in that event.
Oche Odoh with his immaculate eight shot victory in Ada has climbed to number two from being number ten only in May. Unattached Umoh Edet has gone a step down to number three, leaving the ULO Champion Christian Godfrey to grapple with the fourth place.
MicCom homeboy Shofela is placed fifth and Paris Peugeot winner Abdullahi Ali is suffering his local Tour absence early in the month by dropping in two places to the sixth spot.
Air Assault pro, Mike Ubi is placed seventh while former Nigeria Open Champion Lateef Lasis follows in the eighth place. Ilorin Golf Club's Friday Adache is ninth and the new addition to the top ten is Martin Odoh (Oche's elder brother) whose brilliant form at the 2 nd Osun Open has jerked up his rating.
Nigeria's PGA Top Ten
1. Emos Korblah
2. Oche Odoh
3. Umoh Edet
4. Christian Godfrey
5. Nojeem Shofela
6. Ali Abdullahi
7. Mike Ubi
8. Lateef Lasisi
9. Friday Adache
10. Martins Odoh
Gboyega Oyebanji, Lagos based former Nigeria's number one pro golfer returned to the country last week from the United Kingdom, the same week he dropped off the top ten of the local professional ranking.
'Teco' as he is popularly called is perhaps the Nigerian with the best international performance in recent time and had been trying his hand on other Tours hoping to break into the bigger league.
He told Golfx.blogspot.com that while in England he had tried his hand on the Jamega Tour, the most popular Mini Tour in the country where on invite he participated in three event which he said his best was an eleventh place finish at one of them.
According to him, "I played the Jamega Tour; they also have very good players especially players from other bigger tours (Challenge and European Tours) also play on the Tour.
His return, as a former number one could distort the arrangement of the order of merit and slim many players' chance when another PGA event is played. Although it is not confirmed if the Pros would be part of the Nigeria Cup (independent event at Ikoyi Golf Club in Lagos), otherwise Teco's test may be a journey to the St. mark Golf and Country's Club in Otupko Benue State in the second week of October.
Oyebanji would not bulge anyway, given that he lifted the trophy when he last played on the course. But the rising profile of Abdullahi Ali, the budding Zaria Golf Club youngster that lifted the Peugeot Pro-Am in Paris last month and the new found form of Oche Odoh and Umoh Edet who are billed for the World Cup in Malaysia could be tough nuts for him.
Meanwhile the PGA of Nigeria last week also updated its ranking and made some adjustments in the players rating in consonance with the point they gathered, especially reflecting their performance at the 2 nd Osun Open that was concluded at the MicCom Golf and country Club in Ada early in the month.
Emos Korblah still tops the Nigerian ranking, a position he has held since April, but the margin has now slimmed meaning any shabby outing now could weed him out to as far as being away from the top three. That is of course if some players who occupy that slot perform better than him in that event.
Oche Odoh with his immaculate eight shot victory in Ada has climbed to number two from being number ten only in May. Unattached Umoh Edet has gone a step down to number three, leaving the ULO Champion Christian Godfrey to grapple with the fourth place.
MicCom homeboy Shofela is placed fifth and Paris Peugeot winner Abdullahi Ali is suffering his local Tour absence early in the month by dropping in two places to the sixth spot.
Air Assault pro, Mike Ubi is placed seventh while former Nigeria Open Champion Lateef Lasis follows in the eighth place. Ilorin Golf Club's Friday Adache is ninth and the new addition to the top ten is Martin Odoh (Oche's elder brother) whose brilliant form at the 2 nd Osun Open has jerked up his rating.
Nigeria's PGA Top Ten
1. Emos Korblah
2. Oche Odoh
3. Umoh Edet
4. Christian Godfrey
5. Nojeem Shofela
6. Ali Abdullahi
7. Mike Ubi
8. Lateef Lasisi
9. Friday Adache
10. Martins Odoh
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