Okocha: I Preach Golfing without Rancour

The Chief Executive of A.C Okocha Motors and President of Concerned Citizens of Ogwashi-Uku in Delta State, Chief A.C Okocha has said that he feels tremendously sad when he sees golfers agonising after a bad round on the golf course.

Okocha disclosed in an interview with the Nigeria Golf Networkthat when he sees a golfer sulks after a bad round, he will only ask such golfer to take a second glance at the golf course so he can see how green it is, the many trees and beautiful waters and the clean air he breathes in.

‘’I mean why will anyone feel bad for playing badly?’’ he asks, feigning disbelief. ‘’I believe golf has an individual nature where you either succeed or fail. But in case you fail, you can still enjoy the serene atmosphere and breathe in absolute clean air’’.

This, perhaps, is the main reason Okocha is widely known as the classic golf gentleman.

He’s ever soft spoken, always friendly and polite. He even amazes people that he doesn’t show this relentless obsession with the game as numerous golfers do.

In fact, if he is upset or angry about something on the course, he is the only one who knows it.

‘’To me, patience is a prerequisite for success in golf,’’ Okocha said, stressing “As in life, you must clear impediments on the way if you must succeed. Its like this with golf… if you don’t clear impediments on the line of your putt, you may miss the putt. And as a golfer, you must imbibe these two unforgivable sins in golf… that is cheating and quitting,” he emphasised with all seriousness.

The erudite business mogul must know what he is talking about. Since he left the Nigerian Air Force in 1983 and moved into motor business, he has since climbed to the summit of the automobile sector as a major player.