Watch out for the best of golffing as women gather for the 21st edition of the IBB Ladies Close Golf Championships will hold on the course of IBB International Golf and Country Club from October 7 – 9, 2021.
The championship is a Strokeplay/Nett event open to lady golf members of the club, only. It ranks as one of the major events on the IBB Ladies Golf Section calendar.
Participants in the championship will be contesting for who has played best to her current handicap.
A golf handicap is a numerical measure of a golfer’s potential that is used to enable players of varying abilities to compete against one another. Better players are those with the lowest handicaps.
The tournament is a highly anticipated and keenly contested one by members who look to show off their golfing skills on the course to upgrade their ratings as the current calendar gradually wraps up activities marked for 2021.
Lady Captain of IBB Ladies, MaryRose Richard-Obioha expressed enthusiasm toward the close championship, challenging the women to bring their A-game.
Said she: “The 21st IBB Ladies Close Championship is the last ladies-only tournament for the year 2021. So, all the ladies in IBB are earnestly looking forward to this to prove that records in the year and upgrade ratings.
“We expect to see friendly contest and hunger to beat the rest in order to emerge the best in the Championship.
“At the start of every year, all lady golfers of the club set marks to achieve and new records to attain. The IBB Close Golf Championship is the final test to achieving those goals”.
As opposed to an Open championship, only registered IBB Lady golfers with valid handicap, who have paid the current year’s subscription and are not currently serving any suspension from the club, can play in the IBB Ladies Close Golf Championship.
Defending champion of the Close championship, Jummai Abdullahi, shared her experience of winning the 2019 edition.
Recounted Abdullahi: “Prior to winning the 2019 IBB Ladies close, I said to myself, relax and just play your game like you know it with no pressure.
“By the end of the first day, my scores put me on the last flight for the final day and when your name appears on the flight, it’s either you’re the winner or one of those on the list.
“I wanted to win but I did not focus on winning. What I did was focus on my game and that worked for me. By the time we got to hole 18, my scores had clearly put me in the lead”.
Abdullahi will not be defending the title this year, due to unavailability but she advised the participants to be of a calm disposition.
Said she: “It’s not easy to keep the nerves out of play when you’re in the last flight. You’re struggling to stay calm and play and not be distracted by the game and scores of others.
“It’s very difficult not looking at those scores and realising who’s leading and who’s not. My calm disposition to the tournament played a major role in my winning”.
The 2019 champion concluded by adding that it would not be easy for whoever wins.
Noted she: “I know it will be a keenly contested championship with the calibre of younger players who joined the club in the past three years who’ve honed their playing skills.
“It’s not going to be an easy one for whoever emerges winner this year”.
Abdullahi concluded that she would be back for the 22nd edition to win back her title for “whoever wins will only be keeping the title temporarily”.
The IBB Ladies Close Championship is the last club tournament that excludes female golfers from other clubs and comes just before the Past Lady Captains Cup (November 6, 2021), the Seniors Tournament (December 4, 2021) and the International Day Kitty (December 11, 2021).
