Morris-Newnham top Four-Ball golf trials
Published:Friday | August 20, 2021 | 12:12 AM
The two-man team of Sean Morris and Mark Newnham continued their winning ways on the third and final day of the Jamaica Golf Association’s (JGA) Four-Ball Trials at Caymanas Golf Club, and won the category for the qualifying sport for the Francis & Steel Perkins Trophy on Sunday.
This they did by 12 strokes after scoring three under par 69. They came into the final day with a 10-stroke lead after posting six under par 66 on days one and two. This gave them 15 under par 201 for their three-day total. Their scorecard showed one eagle, three birdies and three bogeys on the front nine for a two under par 34. The back nine was much quieter as they posted just one birdie — hole number 15, for a one under par 35.
“We started at 12 under par [on Sunday], maybe two or one shot clear of the second place positioned team,” Morris said. “We knew we did not have to do much and that might have caused some complacency in our approach. We took the opportunity to work out our synergy and to see how deep we could get to in posting a similar score for the first two days.
“Mark and I played very well. We made the decision from the start to have formulated this team and also to be victorious so we would get the opportunity go and defend our title in October.”
The team of Phillip Prendergast and Owen Samuda had a decent final day, scoring one under par 71 for a three-day combined total of 213 (74, 68) but just could not challenge the leaders.
The third place team of Radcliffe Knibbs and John O’Donoghue were five strokes further back on 218 after posting scores of 73, 75 and two under par 70 on the final day.
The top three teams that were in the running for the qualifying spot to represent Jamaica for the Higgs & Higgs Cup were led by Michael Boyd and Bert Tomlinson. They carded three under par 69 on the final day for their three-day total of two under par 214, which included 75 and 70 on the first and second day, respectively.
Former JGA president Wayne Chai Chong teamed up with Rory Jardine to take the second spot. They ended with 218 overall after posting scores of 76, 70 and level par 72 on the final day.
Newly elected president of the JGA, Jodi Munn-Barrow, had a good day on the course with teammate Alison Reid, who is the junior golf chairperson, to score four over par 76 for a combined total of 225. They posted 75 and 74 on the two previous days. They will represent Jamaica for the Marie Nunes Trophy that they won at the last Caribbean Golf Association’s Four-Ball championship which was played in Florida in 2019.
“[I am] very happy with how Alison and I played today,” Munn-Barrow said. “We didn’t get in any trouble. We didn’t get out of place on any hole and I think we did a solid three-day tournament and I think we are both very happy with it.”
The final competing category, the Dessie Henry Trophy, saw the team of long-time national representative Maggi Lyn and Michele McCreath ending the trials on 232 after scoring 75, 76 and 81 over the three days.