1st October Golf Championship: Ghana’s Torgah takes lead after sparkling 63 in Round 1

1st October Golf Championship: Ghana’s Torgah takes lead after sparkling 63 in Round 1

By Victor Okoye

Ghanaian Vincent Torgah on Saturday carded a record-setting score of 63 in the opening round to take a three-shot lead at the 1st October Golf Championship in Port Harcourt.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the championship which teed off on Saturday at the Port Harcourt Golf Club is expected to end on Tuesday.

Edwin Osuhor, Tournament Director of the African Tour, said golf action was at its peak as various players from different parts of Africa were around to join in celebrating Nigeria’s Independence.

“They duly exhibited their strength in the game.

“In the spotlight was ‘Mr. Consistency’ (Vincent Torgah), and he seemed to have had a major comeback as he began the first round of the championship with a tremendous score of 7-under 63.

“The Ghanaian lead after carding a record-setting score of 63 in the opening round to take a three-shot lead.

“The 35-year-old player has ranked Number One on the Tour’s Order of Merit.

“After playing in the last group, he looks certainly back to defend his title and take over the cup this week.

“One will say he has set the bar way too high for other competitors,” he said.

Osuhor said Torgah began his game with a birdie in the first hole and subsequently made an eagle on the par 5 hole 3.

“However he stumbled upon a boogie on hole 9, but that did not leave him short, as he proceeded to sink birdies on holes 10, and three more birdies each on holes 13, 15 and 16.

“He closed the round with a total of one eagle, six birdies and one boogie,” he said.

The tournament director said chasing relatively close was Zimbabwe’s Visitor Mapwanya who posted halves of 34 and 32 on the front and back nines respectively.

He finished the day with a blemish-free 4-under 66.

“The Zimbabwean who took a break from the Tour earlier this year was back to being 100 percent focused on his golf since the ‘Sagamu Cup’ last month.

“Visitor carded four birdies on holes 1, 7, 14 and 15 and kept a clean card over the course as he grabbed just enough birdies to keep him in second place after round one.

“Nigeria’s Gift Willy also had a good run as he chases closely in third place.

“To start the tournament, the Port Harcourt-based player rolled a birdie putt at the home hole to card a 3-under 67, leaving him four shots off the lead.

“Willy entered the week with some decent form, finishing inside the top 10 in three of his previous four starts.

“The Nigerian is one player, if not the most accomplished, never to have won a title on the Tour since joining in 2017.

“Maybe he has one last stand in him this week as he finished the round one stroke behind Mapwanya with four birdies and one boogie,” he said.

Osuhor added that there was a long tie in the fourth place as five players struggled for the spot as the course delivered a firm but fair test of golf tournament.

“Chukwudi Okoro, Solomon Ideriah, Christopher Francis, E.K Owusu and one-time winner Francis Epe kept the spot with level par 70.

“Two other players carded 1-over par 71. The duo are two-times winner on the Tour, Kingsley Oparaku, and Atako Morgan of Port Harcourt golf club,” he added.

NAN reports that with just four events left before curtains fall on the 2019 Tour season, all players will be looking to win.

Winning will help them improve their positions on the Order of Merit as this tournament offers 4,000 merit points.(NAN)