Teenage golf sensation, Grace Agbo of the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja, has emerged as the overall champion of the 2025 Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria (LGAN) Northern Zone Golf Championship.
The tournament, which teed off on Wednesday and concluded on Saturday, was hosted at the scenic Minna Cantonment Golf Club (MCGC) in Niger State. It attracted over 250 golfers from various parts of the country, all vying for top honours on the club's well-manicured course.
Agbo, competing in the ladies' handicap 0-18 category, secured the best gross title after carding a cumulative gross score of 246 over three days, outperforming 45 other contenders who made the final cut.
The 18-year-old got off to a shaky start, returning a disappointing 90 gross on Day 1, which saw her drop to fourth place on the leaderboard. However, she staged a remarkable comeback with an 83 gross on Day 2 to tie for second place with Janet Ali (87, 86).
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Riding on that momentum, Agbo delivered her best performance on the final day, firing an impressive 73 gross to seal a dominant victory and stamp her name among Nigeria's rising golf stars.
"First of all, I want to say thank you to God Almighty for this victory. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to my caddy Emmanuel and my coach for their useful tips and guidance throughout the tournament.
"I think this is one of my best wins ever because I came out with a good score, even though I started my game initially on the back foot because I was nervous, especially because this was my first time playing here.
"My greatest challenge was the presence of the mango trees everywhere on the course, but I conquered my fears and anxiety after day 1 and never looked back afterwards.
"My goal is to continue to build on what I have achieved so far in the game as I look forward to becoming a pro very soon and represent Nigeria in different tours and courses around the world," she said.
Justina Gideon finished second at the 2025 LGAN Northern Zone Championship with a total gross score of 259 (87, 86, 86), edging out Janet Ali on countback. Ali, who also returned a 259 gross (86, 88, 85), settled for third place.
Rahama Inusa, the early frontrunner with an opening 82 gross and Day 2 score of 87, lost her lead after a shaky final round of 91, finishing fourth with a 260 gross.
In other results, Bose Ilori won the ladies handicap 19-28 category with a total of 275 gross (93, 93, 89). LGAN President Evelyn Oyome clinched the ladies guest category with 169 gross (85, 84), while Saleh Martina topped the veterans category with 204 gross (101, 103). Habiba Ibrahim emerged winner of the special handicap 29-36 category with 115 gross.
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