A masterclass stroke delivered by Teye Lartey ensured he broke away from the pack with just a point to win the Centre of the World golf tournament at the Tema Country Golf course last Saturday.

Lartey, a member of the Tema Country Golf Club, played with a handicap of five and carded 70 points to grab the ultimate prize. He was tailed closely by Augustine Manasseh who finished with 71 points and E. K Ocansey's 72 points to follow in that order.

The competition, which was opened to golfers across the country and the subregion in celebration of The Year of Return, had men in Group A play with a handicap of between 0-14.

Even with a superior handicap of one, Prince Agyiri of the Damang Golf club had to settle for the fourth place to complete the Men's Group A event.

Favourite in the ladies event, experienced Florence Etwi-Barimah, could not maintain her dominance in her category after her 77 points with a hadcap of 20 failed to beat Celebrity Golf Course's Mercy Werner who carded 72 points to win the event.

Margaret Owusu Baah finished in second position with 73 points to beat Etwi- Barimah to third position.

C. Oppong won the Ladies Group B event with 76 points followed by Gladys Awuni 77 points and Helen Appah, 78 points.

Charles Martey emerged winner of the Senior category followed by Josep Odei, while E.K Owusu stunned his competitors to win in the Professionals category followed Kwame Ligbidi and Eric Henaku.

Rev. Augustine Mensah won the Closest to the Pin event with Helen Appah picking the ladies category, while Jerry Tetteh of the Achimota Golf Club picked the longest drive with Margaret Owusu Baah walking away with the ladies category.

The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Art, Mrs Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, who did the tee off ceremony, said the centre of the world was located on the Tema Country Golf course and government wanted to take advantage of that to develop the course into a world class standards in order to host international competitions.

By that, she said, it would become a destination hub for tourists who would come to the country to play golf and also to see this unique place where the centre of the world is sited.