Top golfers storm Achimota for Inaugural Open tourney

Golfers Jeff Abeasi, Nik Amarteifio and S.T. Okantey will have the unique chance off teeing off first this morning at 6: 30 a.m. to set the stage for a fierce competition at the Inaugural Open tournament, a two-day medal play to officially open the refurbished Achimota Golf Club.

About 200 golfers are expected to compete in this weekend’s competition which officially ushers Ghana’s premier golf course into a new era following massive refurbishment undertaken by Paul McGinley of McGinley Design to give the course a modern outlook, designed to USPGA standard. Oil giants Tullow Ghana Limited sunk approximately $3 million into the redesign of the 18-hole course, while the club house reconstruction was funded by the club.

Even though a number of competitions have been held at the Achimota course since the completion of work last year, the significance of this weekend’s Inaugural Open has to do with the presence of some of the club’s notable golfers, as well as players drawn from other clubs. Also the presence of golfers from Togo, Nigeria, Gabon, Senegal and Togo gives this weekend’s competition an international flavour.

Allowance has been made for men with handicap 24 and below, and handicap 30 and below for women.

The women’s field comprises both veteran and young golfers, including prominent names such as evergreen Mona Myles-Lamptey (Mona Cpatan), Sussie Abaloo, Margaret Owusu-Baah,Janet Tamakloe,Adelaide Owusu-Adjapong, Esther Antwi and Jessica Tei, all of whom will tee off at different times today.
The men’s field comprises names such as Osagyefo Amoatia Oforipanin, Sir Sam Jonah, Kwesi Amoafo-Yeboah, Prof. Plange Rhule, Charles Cofie, Frank Adu, Mark Cofie and Aziz Amankwa.

President John Dramani Mahama is expected to grace the final presentation luncheon tomorrow as Special Guest of Honour, with distinguished personalities such as current captain of the Achimota club, Nana Atta Nyamekye, his predecessors Mike Ezan, and Captain K.A. Butah (Retd.), current captains well as past captains Prof. C.C. Adomako and Messrs E. Acquah-Harrison, E.Y. G. Kumodzie, Kwame Saarah-Mensah and F.A. Amoah all in attendance.