Daily Independent Online.
*
Friday,July 16, 2004.
‘Poverty drove me into pro-golf’
By Taiwo Alimi
Senior
Correspondent,
Lagos
It may be debatable
to say that Abeokuta Golf Club based professional Lateef Lasisi is the most
successful player on the local scene but the strength of argument in his favour
would be overwhelming going by the fact that he is the only Nigerian to have
won the biggest golf championship in the land, talking about the Nigerian Open.
For close to ten
years that the championship held sway, moving from Ikoyi Club 1938 (Golf
Section) the premier full green in
the country and the IBB Golf and Country Club in Abuja, no Nigerian
professional got any close to the almost N5million prize money, not even the
then Order of Merit leader Peter Akakasiaka and the revered Port Harcourt based
player, Bello Seibidor until 1995 when the ebony dark player who started
playing at the Ewekoro Golf course saved Nigerians the embarrassment of
watching foreigners cart home the Nigerian Open trophy. It was a great time to
celebrate for the organisers and players who had waited patiently for this day
and it was all thanks to Lasisi, one of the youngest pros then who defeated the
likes of today’s world number two Vijay Singh to put Nigeria’s name
on the list of winners of the multi- million naira championships.
Cornered recently
in Lagos, the amiable player was all smiles as he reminiscence the good old
days and how the victory changed his golf life for the better. He further spoke
on the present predicament of professionals at home, insisting that
professional golf locally is truly in disarray. He however ventured solution on
how the downward trend can be reversed. Most importantly, he spoke about his
humble background and how the game has elevated him in cash and status.
“I was born
in Arigbajo in Ewekoro local government of Ogun State and I started my golf
career at the Elephant Club Ewekoro in 1974. Actually, like many professionals
in Nigeria, I ventured into golf as a caddie. My parents were so poor that they
could not cater adequately for all of us so it was a respite to earn some money
somewhere.
I was living close
to the course and saw the opportunity to pick up some money carrying golf bags
for the predominantly white players then and we were so successful then that we
had a lot of money to throw around. For example, a bottle of Coke (Coca Cola)
was around one kobo and it was a luxury for even grown ups in the village but
we could afford to buy so many in one day and even initiate competitions among
our peers through it.
We would buy a lot
of Coke and use it as prizes for others to play for. Even with the kind of joy
we brought to the village, the elders were still against us saying that we are
slaves to the white men carrying bags for them for money. But I was not daunted
by it and went on to turn amateur and by 1986/87, I was number one amateur and
that kind of influenced my turning professional in 1988. At this time, I was
still in secondary school and playing golf too but with the support of a Briton
going by the name Mr Dozie. He has returned to UK now but he helped me a lot as
amateur and as a professional.”
Looking back, he
said, the best part of his career so far was when he won the Nigerian Open.
“I can never forget the Nigerian Open in 1995 and till today I am the
only Nigerian to have won it. I was very happy that day. It took me some time
to realise where I was and the fact that I have done what the Akakasiakas of
this country could not do.
If you wake me up
any day I would tell you what I played for four days. I had 5 under and tied
with Akakasiaka forcing him to go on playoff with me and I went on to beat him
on the first hole where I had a par and he had boogie. It was an experience I
would never forget as long as I live”.
Lasisi ended by
talking on the sorry state of professional golf in the country. “The
truth is that we are suffering in Nigeria and it is really difficult sending
our children to school and doing so many things one would need money to
achieve.
I think the way out
is for PGAN to put behind them what must have happened in the past and see how
it can get back into the good books of the prime promoters of pro golf in
Nigeria. Whatever it is doing, PGAN must realise it is doing it for the up and
coming players as well as for the good of the game because prosperity would
judge them”, added Lasisi.
