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Missing Open Golfers Baffling

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British authorities are investigating whether dozens of Nigerians fraudulently obtained visas by posing as golfers with invitations to next week's British Open.


Organizers of the golf classic said they had sent invitations to 47 Nigerians to enter qualifying tournaments, but only four actually showed up. A smaller number of Ghanaians were also no-shows.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club was surprised, because in previous years the number of Nigerians seeking to compete in the open was "in the single figures," spokesman Stuart McDougall said.

"They entered for the championship, and we tried to check their golfing credentials as best we can in Nigeria," he said. "But Nigeria is not an easy country to get through to."

A spokeswoman at the Foreign Office said authorities had not determined whether the missing golfers had actually applied for or received visas, or whether they were in Britain.

"UK Visas is looking into it," she said, of the visa issuing agency run jointly with the Home Office.

If they received visas, the Nigerians were not actually obliged to appear at the tournament:

"Obviously, you can't round people up and say: 'You must play golf,'" she said.

"However if they were applying for an event which they didn't intend to turn up for, then they were giving false information, which isn't right."

A spokesman at the Home Office said presenting false information in a visa application could be an immigration offence which could result in being ordered home -- if the offender is ever caught.

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