With the support and encouragement of his parents, though with strict instructions that his love for sports, especially golf, does not clash with his education, one of Nigeria’s golf prodigies, Dele Gogor, is set to take after world’s number one, Tiger Woods.
Austin Gogor
In a chat with TheNiche at the Ikeja Golf Club, Gogor, who placed third behind Stephen Adedokun and Sambo Umoh with 133 scores over 18 holes at this year’s Children’s Day golf tournament organised by Ikeja Golf Club, in partnership with the Kids Golf International (KGI), said Woods is his role model.
“I like Tiger Woods. I like the way he plays, his smile and everything about him as far as golf is concerned, and I will like to take after him,” he said.
Gogor, 13, and a Junior Secondary School (JSS) student of International School, University of Lagos, said he started playing golf at the age of five with the support of his parents.
“My parents actually gave me all the encouragement needed to play the game, and I must thank them for their support.
“With the way things are going, I will one day be a world champion, as I will like to play like Woods,” he said.
The teenager, who has participated in series of tournaments, including last year’s First Lady Golf tournament held at the Ikeja Golf Club among others, is the son of former Secretary of the Club, Austin Gogor.
“Playing golf is educative because you have to be calculative, attentive and focused when you are on the course,” he said.
He, however, affirmed that he is blending his education with sports, as there is time for everything.
“The two (education and sports) can go together, and so far, I have been able to do that and enjoying myself,” he said.