Babatunde Oyalami stole the show at the 64th FirstBank Lagos Amateur Open Golf Championship on Sunday, clinching the coveted trophy. Oyalami grossed 231 over 54 holes to emerge victorious.
The golfer, based in Osun, started with an opening round of 78, followed by a second-day score of 75, and a closing 78, for a total of 231, winning by three shots. Osaze Iyare secured second place with a gross score of 324 over 54 holes, two shots ahead of Ibrahim Bilya in third.
Bilya carded an opening 84, a second-day score of 75, and a closing 77 to take the third spot. Monday Joseph from St. Mark Golf and Country Club, Otukpo, finished further down the leaderboard with a total of 237, while Michael Isife from Enugu Golf Club completed the top five in the gross category.
Delighted with his performance, Oyalami thanked FirstBank for the opportunity to compete in the Lagos Open, stating that the victory has paved the way for his professional career. He noted that, like many previous winners, he is ready to transition into the elite professional ranks.
“I am very happy to win this competition. I also want to say a big thank you to FirstBank for the sponsorship of Lagos Open. Winning this tournament to me is like a dream come true and I can also now say that I am ready to turn professional just as most other winners,” he said.
This quote highlights Oyalami’s excitement and his ambition to pursue a professional golf career, following in the footsteps of previous champions.
In the professional category, Pro Monday Eze, a two-time Lagos Open winner, claimed the top prize of N10 million, with others receiving consolation prizes. Beyond the cash awards for professionals, Bethesda Home and School for the Blind and Pacelli School for the Blind each received N3 million in donations.
Pledging to continue positively impacting sports growth across the country, FirstBank’s Chief Executive Officer, Olusegun Alebiosu, represented by Nnaemeka Ejeh, Group Executive, Retail Banking, South, stated that FirstBank would deepen its commitment to sports development through its First@sports initiative, a platform dedicated to promoting excellence, nurturing young athletes, and strengthening community engagement.
