Nigeria’s Godwin Okoko surged to the top of the leaderboard after an impressive opening round at the Sunshine Development Tour – West Africa Qualifying School, carding a 4-under par 68 to take a commanding four-shot lead.
Okoko delivered one of the standout performances of the day at Lakowe Lakes Golf Estate, producing a near-flawless round highlighted by three birdies on the 13th, 14th and 17th holes, as well as an eagle on the par-5 8th. His only blemish came on the 4th hole, as he maintained control across the rest of his round.
His strong start places him firmly ahead of a chasing trio tied for second place on level par, featuring Côte d’Ivoire’s Kouassi Jean-Romaric and Nigeria’s Solomon Ideriah and Bako Kamalu, all of whom remain within striking distance heading into the second round.
A further group is tied for fifth place on 1-over par, including Côte d’Ivoire’s Kouame Kouakou and Nigeria’s Francis Epe, while a trio of Ghanaian players that includes Augustine Manaseh, Eric Kwae and Vincent Torgah, are tied for seventh after opening rounds of 2-over par.
The three-day, 54-hole tournament, running from April 13 to 15, has attracted a strong field of 62 professional golfers from across West, East and Central Africa, including entrants from Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon and host nation Nigeria.
With two rounds still to play, the competition remains wide open, with players set to battle for top ranking positions and qualification status on the Sunshine Development Tour.
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