Sai, Awuni claim top honours as Tema Ladies Open makes historic debut
The Centre of the World Golf Course witnessed a piece of history over the weekend as it played host to the inaugural Tema Ladies Open, a three-day festival of golf that drew a field of over one hundred competitors from across the nation.
Blessed with idyllic weather, the championship served as a vibrant showcase for the sport’s burgeoning depth, bringing together professionals, scratch players, and amateurs in a rare competitive mix. While the event bore the name "Ladies Open," the fairways were a shared battleground, with men and women alike displaying remarkable skill across various divisions, underscoring the sport's broadening appeal on the local scene.
The final day’s play was a masterclass in precision and nerve. Beyond the main leaderboard battles, the supporting prizes added a layer of intrigue, with Helen Appau, Francis Panty, Kassim Diibjri, and Wendy Gyan all finding their mark to claim accolades for the longest drive and closest to the pin.
In the senior categories, experience reigned supreme. Paul Ayitah navigated the course with a steady hand to secure top spot in the Men’s Senior Division, holding off the challenge of Joshua Peprah. Meanwhile, Helen Appau added another accolade to her name by clinching the Ladies Senior trophy.
The group divisions produced compelling narratives of their own. Roy Aboku emerged triumphant in Group C, edging out Seth Opuni and Cheiko Freeman. A familiar face, former club captain James Otoo, demonstrated his enduring class in Group B, outplaying David Boadi and Israel Thompson. The Men’s Group A title, however, belonged to George Mensah, who delivered a commanding performance to seal the victory.
However, the spotlight inevitably fell on the elite categories, where the standard of play was fiercely competitive. The Ladies Scratch Event witnessed a stellar performance from Cathy Fabbi, the Lady Coordinator of the Ghana Golfers Association. Fabbi demonstrated poise under pressure to outshine a formidable field that included the likes of Hawa Britto. On the men’s side of the scratch competition, Kingsley Afful produced a tour de force to claim the top prize, leaving Kassim Diibjri and Stephen Asanab to settle for second and third.
The amateur ranks, brimming with talent, saw Sylvia Appiah and Sylvia Acquah claim honours in Ladies Group C, while the more experienced trio of Dora Ofori-Boateng, Celine Owusu-Afari, and Cynthia Opuni stepped up to claim the podium positions in Ladies Group B.
Yet, the grandstand finish was reserved for the professional and top amateur categories. In a fiercely contested Ladies Division A, it was Gladys Awuni who rose to the occasion, navigating the undulating greens with a composure that belied the pressure. Her victory capped a fine week for the Awuni name on the leaderboard.
The battle for supremacy in the Ladies Professional Category was a compelling duel between two of Ghana’s finest. In a display of consistency and grit, Vivien Kouame held her nerve to overcome the challenge of Jessica Tei, whose own performance was a testament to the rising standard of women’s professional golf in the country.
Finally, in the Men’s Professional division, it was Godwin Sai who stood head and shoulders above the rest. With a masterful display of shot-making across the tournament, Sai laid waste to the field to claim the coveted top prize and its accompanying cash reward, bringing the curtain down on a historic and resoundingly successful debut for the Tema Ladies Open.
