Iyene Essien, the making of an emerging golf star

Iyeneobong Essien (left) was first runner up at the Champion of Champions World Golf Championship Invitational in Northern Ireland.

The lines are beginning to fall in pleasant places for Iyeneobong Essien. From the starry-eyed infant, who first took a tiny step into golf at the IBB Golf and Country Club, Abuja, a few years ago, Iyene, as she is simply known, is growing into a much sought after player, who never fails to do something noteworthy at every given opportunity.

A few weeks ago in Northern Ireland, the Akwa Ibom State-born daughter of a golf enthusiast gave her admirers reason to celebrate once again, when she finished as first runner up at the Champion of Champions World Golf Championship Invitational.

The 16-year-old girl competed in the 16 to 19 years category at the invitational, playing on two challenging courses, the Faldo Course and the Castle Hume Course at the Lough Erne Resort in Enniskillen, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

The latest feat has once again shown that the teenager is right on the way to stardom; and she is doing it in a remarkable way.

Since winning her first medal aged five, Essien has added almost two dozen more medals to her coffers and has represented Nigeria 11 times at tournaments in Africa, Europe, and the United States.

But her performance at the Champion of Champions World Championship Invitational in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland last month was so remarkable that it even got the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari, who ordinarily leaves sports matters to his aides.

In a congratulatory message to the U.S.-based budding star, Buhari commended the achievements of the youngster, who currently tops the junior player cadre in Nigeria.

The president noted that Essien’s achievement were as a