Jamaica third at Carib Amateur Jr Golf Champs
Published:Thursday | August 5, 2021 | 12:08 AMLennox Aldred/Gleaner Writer
Jamaica’s junior golfers had to settle for a third-place finish in the team standings at the end of the 54-hole Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship in the Dominican Republic.
The Jamaicans had a tough third and final day, where they could only pick up 41 points to finish with a total of 147 points. The hosts picked up 51 points on the final day to claim the title, with total points of 154. Puerto Rico claimed second place with 147 points, with the Bahamas fourth with 104 points.
The Cayman Islands and Trinidad and Tobago finished fifth and sixth, respectively, with 43 and 33 points. The Jamaicans’ performance saw them dropping down a spot from the last championships, where they finished second.
The Jamaicans had a few good individual performances with Samantha Azan finishing second in the Girls 11-13 category, with her three-round total of 251. Teammate Anoushka Khatri finished fourth with 273 behind eventual winner Maria Caimari of the Dominican Republic, who claimed the John Fitzgerald Trophy with a total of 236.
Captain Emily Mayne also put in a good performance at the championships, finishing third in the Girls 18 and under category. Mayne shot an overall 15 over par 231 behind Darianys Guzman of Puerto Rico, who claimed the Cesar Rivera trophy with a 13 over par total of 229.
Aman Dhiman was the best-placed boy for team Jamaica, as his one-under-par round of 215 saw him finishing third in the Boys 15 and under category. Kurt Rivers of the Turks and Caicos Islands was the only golfer to go under par in all three rounds, as his 10 under par 206 saw him lifting the Arturo Pellerano Trophy.
National Junior champion Rocco Lopez finished a disappointing seventh in the Boys 18 and under category with his total of 227, while teammate Radino Lobban ended in 11th place with Michael Lowe ending in 13th position. Julio Rios of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico’s Gustavo Rangel shared the James Moss Solomon Trophy after both carded seven-under-par 209.
Jamaica’s Winnie Lau, who finished fourth in the Girls 15 and under category, took home the Izzy Marley Trophy for Sportsmanship.
Coach Jonathan Newnham said the Jamaicans acquitted themselves well, despite the tough final-day conditions and the team’s third-place finish.
“The team did the best they could and I am proud of them for fighting to the end,” Newnham said. “No one gave up, and everybody was pushing, and it was awesome to see them supporting each other coming in. I must highlight the ladies who gave us the majority of the points, and there were a lot of positives to take from this tournament, and we will come back stronger.”