Nigerian golfer, Sunday Olapade has emerged champion of the professional category at the 2025 Lakowe Lakes Golf Classic, finishing with an impressive 10-under par across 54 holes as the tournament wrapped up on Sunday.
Olapade carded rounds of 69, 65, and 72 to secure a five-stroke lead over Ghana’s Emos Korblah, clinching the N5 million top prize along with an additional ARM champion’s bonus of N2.5 million, bringing his total winnings to N7.5 million.
Reflecting on his triumph, Olapade said: “This is a very satisfying win, given the effort I have put into my game in the past few months. I have just come back from a training round in Kenya.
“It’s been a very challenging routine, which is why this is satisfying. I want to thank everyone who has supported me this while, and believe in me.”
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Young golfer Godwin Okoko also made his mark, placing third in the professional event while guiding his amateur teammates: Ikechukwu Boniface, David Maji, and Frances Omaruaye to victory in the team category. The runner-up team, led by Kingsley Oparaku, featured Roland Alexander, Terry Paul, and Abe Ayodeji.
This year’s Classic featured some of West Africa’s finest professionals, including Ghana’s Barry Yaw, as well as Nigeria’s Oche Odoh, Kamalu Bako, Gift Willy, Michael Ubi, and Francis Epe.
Golf Manager of Lakowe Lakes Golf and Country Estate, Femi Olagbenro, praised Olapade’s performance, noting how close he came to breaking the course’s 54-hole record set by Vincent Torgah.
“I believe every player showing up at Lakowe Lakes Golf Club puts in an extra effort to match the pedigree of the course and the tough field that is always on parade at each Lakowe Lakes Golf Classic event,” he said.
At the closing ceremony, Deji Alli, Chairman of Lakowe Lakes Golf Estate, reflected on the significance of the tournament.
He noted that beyond competition, golf has played a transformative role in his personal life and the business philosophy behind the Lakowe Lakes project, despite the challenges of running a world-class course in Nigeria.
