Odoh, Ak Fly Enter for 144th Open Qualifier

Four Nigerian players are billed to vie for a spot at the 144th British Open Regional Qualifier next week when it tees-off in the United Kingdom. They are, Oche Odoh, Akinwande Oladapo, Monday Ezeh and Ifeanyi Chuwku.
All the four players including Markus Elisha (who has pulled out) are listed at one of the thirteen regional qualifying centers at the Sandy Lodge Golf Course North West of London on the border of Hertfordshire and Middlesex, in the UK.
Of the lot both former current Cameroon Open winner Odoh and rapper Oladapo (known better by his stage name, AK Fly) will be making their first attempt at the World oldest major.
They will both be banking on their current form and a bit of good fortune to scale the almost impossible regional qualifier where less than ten percent of over 1300 entrants are expected to scale to the next round.
“I am feeling very good” says Odoh earlier in May became the first player to win the Cameroon Open back-to-back at the Yaounde Golf Course.
“I am feeling very positive and this I believe is the time to take such a leap” he told pganigeria.com
As for Akinwande who has really carded some impressive score at his home course in Ikoyi Golf Course in Lagos believes life is about risk. “ I am a professional golfer and this is the British Open. It means a lot in the profession” he said.
Monday Ezeh, the 2014 Champion of the Lagos Amateur Open pulled out from the Professional Golfers Association of Nigeria’s Pro-School to extend his amateur term and he is presently one of the most respected category one players in the country.
Ezeh has an edge over Odoh and AK fly as he was at the qualifier last year. A feat which he believes will count in his favour when the 18 holes qualifier tee-off on Monday June 22.
The last Nigerian, Ifeanyi Chukwu, is based in the United Kingdom and has tried to qualify for the Open since 2001that he relocated from Nigeria unsuccessfully. He is the elder brother of Benin based Kanayo Chukwu and his best ranking was number 2 behind Raphael Iyonagbe before he left the country.