With just one more day of play left in professional action in the ongoing KADINVEST Pinnacle Communications Pro-Am Golf Tournament at the Kaduna Golf Club 1921, Andrew Oche Odoh Nigeria’s number professional for six years, has taken the lead.
This is just as only 40 players out of the 156 are left in contention and would all share in the N6.5m prize money up for grabs.
In an interview with newsmen after play on Thursday, he said that he would not be distracted by prospects of winning, but would rather focus on his play.
He explained that though he didn’t play well on the first day, his game picked up the following day.
“We have been progressing, though I did not have a practice round so didn’t play too good on day one. Played five under yesterday and four under today.
On his prospects, he said that he entered every tourney with intention to win. I like to give myself the chance to win if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.
The 36 year-old said that his elder brother Martins
who is 43, is currently second at the KADINVEST Pinnacle Tourney.
On how they started playing, the game, he said that they grew up close to a golf course where they learnt the rudiments as caddies.
“We grew up with golf around us in the military cantonment in Minna. We did not go there because we wanted to take golf as a career,” he said.
Odoh who has been playing professionally for 13 years, said he has won five international outings and 37 professional tourneys.
“Won outside Nigeria five times, in South Africa, once, twice in Equatorial Guinea and twice in Cameroon .
“The biggest win earned me twenty thousand dollars in 2015 at Guinea,” he said.
On how he earns a living from golf, he said that he spends half of the year in South Africa.
He said that if he were not a golfer, his love for sports would have made him involved in other sports.
” If I wasn’t playing golf maybe I would have jumped into music,” he added.
On why he chose golf, he explained that it was because of the less dangers involved in playing.
“I settled for golf because it was more free flowing in my mind. I felt it is an injury free sport. When younger, played football and get injured. Golf is a disciplined sports and disciplines you to life. I still follow football and basketball,” he added.
On who was his role model in the game, he said he was inspired by his late brother.
“My late brother Paul Odoh mentored me. He was a dominant force. He became a professional and won three events before his death. I lived with him at one point. My big brother now Martins also supported me and guided me,” he added.
