Jamaica's William Knibbs made the cut at the 8th Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC) (golf) on Friday at the Grand Reserve Golf Course in Puerto Rico. The island's other representative, Justin Burrowes missed the cut.
Knibbs' first round one over par 73 at the end of the first day, had him poised to make the cut if he could maintain that score or do better. At that point he was tied for 47th place along with several other golfers. He posted a solid two over par 74 during Friday's second round for a two-day total of three over par 147 and tied for 49th place with five others, and importantly made the cut.
"I just made the cut which is amazing. That was my goal coming into this event. Its my third LAAC and I had never made a cut so that was my big goal heading into this week, just to make the cut. Now that I have made the cut I won't settle on that. I am gonna try to play as well as I can moving forward but it feels great accomplishing a major milestone. It was kinda nerve wracking for the whole day seeing my name hovering on the leaderboard in or just out by one and eventually it got kinda discouraging towards end because my name was the first name after the projected cut, so yea I am looking to tomorrow and Sunday" said Knibbs.
The cut line was set at three over par or the top 50 golfers at the end of the second round. The golfers who made the cut will compete for another two rounds to determine the overall winner.
Burrowes who is competing in the LAAC for the fourth time posted five over par 77 for the first round and placed 84th. He posted another five over par 77 on the second day for a two-day total of 10 over par 154 meant that he missed the cut line for the first time.
He said "disappointing last couple of days. Its unfortunate to miss the cut, unfortunate not to play well but its part of the game. One thing for sure about this week is that it exposed my weaknesses, the weak areas of my game. More than anything else I am just excited to get back to work. I think today was certainly more positive overall. I felt like I managed myself better even though the score didn't quite reflect it. There were some small wins out there."
Louis Carrera of Mexico topped the leaderboard at the end of the second round after posting 10 under par 134 with scores of five under par 67 on each of the first two days. The first day leader, Mateo Fuenmayor of Colombia ended the second round tied for 25th place with five others after posting five over par 77, with a two-day total of one under par 143 (66, 77).
Defending champion Aaron Jarvis of the Cayman Islands is currently tied in the 14th position with 9 others with a score of two under par 142. He shot par 72 and two under par 70 on the first and second day respectively.
Samuda and Munn-Barrow triumph at AMG Buccaneer Memorial Golf Tournament
Owen Samuda and Jodi Munn-Barrow emerged as champions of the AMG Buccaneer Memorial Golf Tournament, held at the Caymanas Golf Club in St. Catherine over the weekend. The annual event, one of Jamaica’s most prestigious golf tournaments, saw over 80 golfers competing despite challenges posed by recent weather conditions.
Samuda, who has been enjoying a stellar run of form, dominated the male category with back-to-back rounds of one-under-par 71, finishing with an impressive two-under-par 142. He won by a commanding 13-stroke margin, cementing his reputation as one of the country’s top golfers.
Reflecting on his victory, Samuda shared, “After the disappointment in the Jamaica Open last week, I realized that you can’t drive a car while looking behind you. I came into this tournament with a lot of confidence and positive thoughts. I played really well yesterday, and even better today, so I feel great about the win.”
Samuda’s performance marked the only under-par scores across the tournament. Former national champion Oshae Haye finished second with an 11-over-par 155, while Zandre Roye and Sean Morris tied for third at 14-over-par 158.
In the female category, Jamaica Golf Association President Jodi Munn-Barrow delivered her trademark consistency to claim the Ladies 0-6 title. Munn-Barrow posted scores of 75 on both days, totaling six-over-par 150 to secure her win by a comfortable 21 strokes over Michele McCreath, who finished at 171.
“It was a little more difficult this time,” Munn-Barrow admitted. “I haven’t been playing much because of my involvement with the Jamaica Open, so my game this weekend was scrappy. But I managed to get the ball around, and I’m happy with how I performed despite not being at my best.”
The tournament also featured numerous category winners, including Quentin Hugh-Sam and Philip Gooden, who scored 168 to win the Men & Men Senior 7-12 section. Other winners included Gifford Wilmott (Men & Men Senior 13-24) with a score of 157, and Diane Hudson, who topped the Ladies 13 and over category with a score of 184.
The event, held for the 29th year, is a tribute to seven of Jamaica’s past national golf representatives: Milton "Buddy" Josephs, Izette Rhone, Lenan "Lennie" Chin, John Fulford, Al Chong, Claude Stewart, and Mark Chin. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Lawes Street Trade Training Centre, with the goal of raising JMD$1 million annually.
Peter Chin, president of the Buccaneers Golf Club, praised the event’s resilience despite weather challenges. “This tournament has been running since the 1990s and is the oldest golf tournament outside of the Jamaica Open on the JGA calendar. The course was in great condition considering the rain over the past few weeks,” Chin said.
The AMG Buccaneer Memorial Golf Tournament was sponsored by AMG Packaging, with Scientific & Medical Supplies as an associate sponsor.
McIlroy honoured to be 'mentioned in same breath' as Ballesteros after matching Race to Dubai tally
Rory McIlroy says he is honoured to be "mentioned in the same breath" as Seve Ballesteros, after matching the Spaniard's haul of six Race to Dubai titles.
McIlroy secured the title for the third year running following his victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday.
The four-time major winner finished two shots clear of Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard to seal his third triumph in the event.
"Everyone knows what Seve means to European golf and Ryder Cup players," an emotional McIlroy told Sky Sports.
"The European Ryder Cup locker room, all we have are quotes from Seve. We had a changing room with Seve's shirt from [1995], the last Ryder Cup he played.
"He means so much to European golf and for me to be mentioned in the same breath, I'm very proud."
"I've been through a lot this year, professionally, personally, and it feels like the fitting end to 2024," added McIlroy, who narrowly lost out on the US Open title to Bryson DeChambeau.
"I've persevered this year a lot, had close calls, wasn't able to get it done. I'm really pleased with the way I finished and, thankfully, I hung on after a tough day and got the job done."
McIlroy seals sixth Race to Dubai title with DP World Tour Championship triumph
Rory McIlroy secured his sixth Race to Dubai title with victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
McIlroy finished at 15 under par and two shots clear of Rasmus Hojgaard, who he partnered during the final round, to seal glory at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The four-time major winner claimed his record-equalling third triumph in this event, matching Jon Rahm.
It is also his third successive Race to Dubai victory - and sixth overall to move level with Seve Ballesteros.
McIlroy was tied for the lead heading into the final day, and a run of four successive birdies gave him a three-shot advantage early on.
However, he hit bogeys on the ninth and 13th holes, allowing Hojgaard to draw level heading into the final four.
Nevertheless, McIlroy dug deep with a brilliant approach leading to a birdie on the 16th, which put him back in front.
And while Hojgaard could only par the final hole after narrowly missing a birdie putt, the Northern Irishman held his nerve with another birdie to seal his seventh tournament win in Dubai.
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