By Daily Sports Nigeria on January 28, 2026

The president of the Nigeria Golf Federation, Olusegun Runsewe, has disclosed that plans to bring American golf icon Tiger Woods to Nigeria for an exhibition event failed because organisers could not provide a private jet for his travel, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Runsewe explained that the attempt, made a few years ago, collapsed after he was informed in the United States that Woods only travels by private aircraft, with provisions also required for his full entourage.

He said the experience opened his eyes to the scale and demands of elite professional golf, while reinforcing the sport’s global reach and influence.

Speaking while advising newly inducted members of the Goodluck Jonathan Golf Club in Abuja, Runsewe urged them to embrace golf fully, describing it as a sport that creates access, relationships and opportunities across borders.

Recounting the episode in detail, Runsewe said in a video posted by Abiola Shodiya, “I travelled to Houston to play golf, and I am sure some of you will be amazed by some of the things I am about to reveal. I went in search of Tiger Woods because I wanted to bring him to Nigeria, but I got the shock of my life.”

Runsewe narrated that shortly after arriving in America, officials from the Nigerian embassy engaged him on the proposed visit and requested details of the travel arrangements being offered to the golfer.

“When I arrived in America, I was still settling in when officials from the Nigerian embassy came to pick me up. I told them clearly that I wanted to invite Tiger Woods to Nigeria. One of the ladies asked me to come closer, and when I did, she asked what our package was for bringing him. I replied that we intended to book British Airways,” he said.

According to Runsewe, the proposal was immediately dismissed, with a clear explanation that commercial travel was not an option for Woods. He said this was the moment he fully grasped the scale of professionalism and financial structure surrounding top-level golf.

“She immediately stopped me and said no. She explained that if Tiger Woods was coming, he would only travel by private jet. That was when I fully understood the level professional golf has reached,” he added.

Expanding on the point, Runsewe explained that the requirements extended beyond the player alone, noting that the welfare and status of a golfer’s caddie are also factored into such arrangements.

“You see, for every professional golfer, the caddy earns 20 per cent of the golfer’s prize money. Tiger Woods’ caddy, who is one of the biggest sportsmen in Australia, must also have a seat on that aircraft. Do you understand what I am saying? That is why I keep stressing that golf has moved to another level entirely,” he said.

Although the proposed visit never materialised, Runsewe said the experience reinforced his belief in golf as a powerful global sport that creates opportunities and long-lasting connections beyond competition.

Woods, now 50, is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers in history. The American is tied for first in PGA Tour wins, ranks second in men’s major championships and holds numerous records in the sport. He is also an inductee of the World Golf Hall of Fame and remains one of the most recognisable athletes of the modern era.

Source Punch Ng

Posted January 28, 2026

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