The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, last Saturday morning, teed-off to officially open this year’s Stanbic-Asantehene Invitational Golf Tournament at the Royal Golf Club in Kumasi.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II played four holes with two other golfers.
The tournament, organised in honour of the Asantehene as well as strengthening commercial and cultural ties within the Ashanti Region, also underscores the partnership between traditional leadership and corporate institutions in promoting sports and development.
The tournament, dubbed “The Royal Tee”, brought together 58 leading and senior golfers and distinguished guests for the event aimed at promoting golf, networking and social interaction.
John Ayayee clinched the Division 1 title with 43 points, while George Akwaah-Sekyi took Division 2 on a countback, at this year’s Stanbic-Asantehene Invitational Tournament.
Ayayee, playing off a handicap index of 12, held his nerve over the full 18 holes. Ekow Nyarko was runner-up with 36 points off handicap 09, ahead of Daniel Ntim, third with 35 points (handicap 05). David Frank Yawson followed with 33 points off handicap 12.
Division 2 produced the day’s tightest finish. Akwaah-Sekyi and Anthony Appiah tied on 39 points each, off a handicap of 24. The referee applied the back-nine countback rule, which put Akwaah-Sekyi ahead and left Appiah as runner-up.
Baffour Kwame Kusi I was third with 37 points off handicap 19, while Mark Kakraba-Ampeh was fourth with 36 points (handicap 18). Stanbic Bank Managing Director, Mr. Kwamina Asomaning, stressed the link between corporate success and community welfare.
He said community engagement goes far beyond corporate social responsibility.
“As a financial institution, our success is inextricably linked to the success of the communities in which we operate,” he noted. The MD noted that “In each of these communities, we acknowledge the role of the chiefs and the community elders in fostering unity, in fostering progress, and ensuring that as a bank, our mandate and our vision are realized.”
He said close, cordial relations with traditional authorities provide a framework for mutual respect and conflict resolution, helping corporate goals align with local development.
Organisers hailed the decade-long partnership with Stanbic Bank, citing rising participation and expanded youth development as key gains for golf in the Ashanti Region.
Prof. Bernard Kofi Baiden, Head of Operations at the Royal Golf Club, said the partnership has consistently driven high engagement. “The level of participation keeps going up year on year. Everyone wants to be part of this experience, and the passion they have for this particular tournament is overwhelming,” he said.
The field is drawn through a qualification structure, bank-sponsored entries and regional club traditions. Through a collaboration with the Ghana Golf Association (GGA), the club also runs a weekly youth academy in Kumasi where players under 18 receive free training and course access.
Prof. Baiden acknowledged that golf remains male-dominated globally, but said efforts are under way to widen female involvement through dedicated packages and national programme representation. “A lot of efforts are being put in to elevate their participation in golf,” he noted.
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