Former Super Eagles forward, Peter Odemwingie, has officially transitioned from football to golf, earning his professional status after graduating from the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) school.
The PGA announced this milestone on Tuesday via a post on X, accompanied by a video. The post highlighted Odemwingie’s illustrious football career, noting his over 30 Premier League goals for West Bromwich Albion and his stints with Cardiff City and Stoke City. He also represented Nigeria in two World Cups and won an Olympic medal in 2008.
Expressing his pride, Odemwingie stated on the PGA website, “I’m proud because I challenged myself not only to apply effort in a sport but also academically. It’s motivating being around people who have the drive to achieve and get this PGA Member badge on your chest! I hope my story motivates people to follow suit, whether that’s through the PGA or any other form of study.”
Odemwingie aims to leverage his new status to promote golf, especially in Nigeria and Russia, countries known for their football talent but with untapped potential in golf. “These are very sporting nations, but they don’t have golfers representing them on the world stage, which is a shame,” he remarked. He plans to organize tournaments in Nigeria with substantial prize money to boost the sport’s popularity.
The 42-year-old, who debuted for the Super Eagles in 2002 and earned 63 caps, retired from football in 2019.