Guardian

FOUR alleged cheats, who were disqualified from the Glo Golf Tour West Africa for varying degrees of malpractices, have had their judgement day shifted as their meeting with the disciplinary committee of the Professional Golfers’ Association of Nigeria has been deferred to a latter date.

The affected golfers, who were to face the committee this week will, however, know their fate after the PGAN’s Qualifying School in Akwa Ibom, where the Executive Committee of the body will meet and pick a new date.

Director of Special Duties of the PGAN, Dominic Andrew, told The Guardian that “We were supposed to meet on January 4th to decide on a date for them to face the panel, but the meeting was postponed because of the Q-School, which requires a lot of preparations. However, we are meeting in Uyo during the Q-School and a decision would be taken as to when the affected persons will be invited to face the panel.”

AFTER 36 holes at the grand finale of the Glo Tour at the Otukpo Golf and Country Club, Akpegede, Francis Epe of Ikeja Golf Club ended his search for honours abruptly, as he was disqualified from the competition for allegedly being involved in cheating.

Epe was said to have altered his scores and caused Ineh Wesley to endorse it. Suspicion, however, arose when it was found out that Wesley signed in spaces provided for both the player and his marker.

Following the development, the leadership of the  Professional Golfer’s Association of Nigeria (PGAN) met and ratified Epe’s disqualification, even though he failed to make the cut. Wesley, his accomplice, who also failed to make the cut, was also schedule to have a date with the disciplinary committee of the body.

The following day, MSC Omenuko, Usman M and senior tour player, Friday Obe were also disqualified from the competition for allegedly being involved in malpractices on the course.

PGAN’s Tournament Director, Martins Odoh, while commenting on the development then had told The Guardian that the body frowns seriously at such brazen acts of fraud and was willing to deal decisively with the perpetrators.

According to him, Epe was suspended because of the illegal alteration he carried out on his card. For his accomplice, that is Wesley, he will soon be invited for questioning and depending on his degree of complicity, he will be sanctioned appropriately.

“As a matter of fact, according to our Bylaws, his punishment could be as much as six-month suspension with cash fine because we have to tackle very hard, any issue that is capable of casting the association in bad light.