Canadian professional golfer and celebrity entertainer Todd Keirstead demonstrates one of his many trick shots. Inset is Maureen Barnes-Smith.
contributed
Maureen Barnes-Smith, director of sales and marketing for Unique Vacations Canada, has praised the annual Baxter Canadian Golf Tournament as an essential platform for strengthening the relationship between Canadian travel advisors and brand Jamaica.
Barnes-Smith spoke glowingly about the commitment of travel advisors in promoting the island as a premier tourist destination, while also highlighting the broader impact of the event in terms of giving back to the community through the Sandals Foundation.
“I'm very excited this year in particular, because, you know, Jamaica is focused on so many different branches of tourism. Sports tourism is a big one for Jamaica, and this golf tournament certainly ties into that. The Baxter Canadian Travel Advisors Golf Tournament is more than just a sporting event—it’s an opportunity for us to continue fostering strong partnerships with travel advisors who have been instrumental in positioning Jamaica as a must-visit destination," Barnes-Smith told SportsMax.Tv.
“Travel advisors are the backbone of the travel industry, and their dedication in showcasing Jamaica's beauty, culture, and hospitality is invaluable. This tournament allows us to celebrate their hard work while engaging with them on a personal level," she added.
The golf tournament, which is now a staple event on the calendar for Canadian travel advisors, provides a unique mix of sports and tourism promotion, enabling participants to experience Jamaica's unique appeal firsthand.
A total of 17 teams of four golfers each engaged in the two-day tournament at the Sandals Golf and Country Club in Upton Estate.
Beyond networking benefits, Barnes-Smith highlighted that the tournament plays an important role in supporting the work of the Sandals Foundation, which, in honour of its 15th year of operation, invited professional golfer and celebrity entertainer Todd Keirstead to assist in raising much-needed funds.
"As always, we're trying to raise as much funds for the Sandals Foundation, so we brought Todd in from Canada to do trick shots at the golf course. So there are people teeing off people's heads, peeling off of coconuts, and it's all in aid of trying to build awareness because he's also a part of Para Canada," Barnes-Smith shared.
"So we're trying to really focus on the foundation and the good that the foundation does in the community, for the economy, and also for the environment. So we're focused on all of those things. So it's really about the golfing, but it's also about the destination and also about everything that we try to do for the Caribbean as a brand," she noted.
Barnes-Smith also revealed that a recent large-scale event, hosted by Sandals Resorts in Montego Bay, attracted over 600 travel agents, who were flown in to immerse themselves in the Jamaican experience.
That event, she said, was a massive success and part of the brand’s broader strategy to drive tourism as a whole, while showcasing the island’s potential as a destination for more than just sun and sand.
"We had a thousand people in Montego Bay yesterday (Wednesday), and it was all about brand Jamaica. We wanted to ensure that these agents had the chance to experience the best of what Jamaica has to offer—the culture, the people, the food, the music, and what we, as a company, as a brand, bring into Jamaica as a local Jamaican company.
"Because a lot of people see Sandals. They don't realise that Sandals is a Jamaican company, but also what we do for the rest of the Caribbean. But it's all about the destination, and golfing is just a small part,” Barnes-Smith explained.
Ultimately, Barnes-Smith underscored that everything they do is to assist travel advisors in becoming better equipped to sell Jamaica to their clients with confidence.
“As Sasco would say, sell Jamaica first, second, and third, and also fourth. So for me, it really is about getting everybody focused. We're a Caribbean company, but as a Jamaican brand, we also have a lot more exposure in Jamaica than we have anywhere else.
“So for us, it's all about making sure that we're giving back as much to this destination as we can and we're doing that through sports tourism, through the foundation, and through the Sandals Corporate University,” Smith-Barnes ended.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Jamaica leads the way as 64 teams set for battle at Caribbean Four Ball Golf Champs
Reigning champions Jamaica is set to field the largest team to the Caribbean Golf Association's (CGA) Four-Ball Golf Championships, as 64 players from eight countries are set to contest this year’s edition of the tournament scheduled for October 17 to 20 in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Jamaican contingent comprises 20 players, with hosts Trinidad and Tobago fielding 14 players, while Barbados and Bahamas are set to field 10 and eight players, respectively. Bermuda (6) with Cayman Islands (2), Puerto Rico (2), and St. Lucia (2) have also been confirmed for what should be a competitive event at the Plantations Golf and Country Club.
Jamaica copped the overall title last year ahead of the Bahamas.
They were victorious in the Ladies 25 plus, as well as the Men's Senior and 70 plus divisions, while the Bahamian players copped the Men's Mid-Amateur and Super-Senior Categories. Trinidad and Tobago claimed the Ladies' 45 plus honours.
The teams are scheduled to arrive in the Twin Island Republic on Wednesday, with the opening ceremony set for Thursday at the Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort.
Tournament action will get underway on Friday and continue until Sunday, starting at 8:00am each day, with an award ceremony to follow on the final day.
Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Rowley, and Minister of Sport and Community Development, Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis, are both expected to grace the tournament with their presence.
Owen Samuda triumphs in Brooklyn Open after eight-year break
Jamaica's Owen Samuda made a triumphant return to competitive golf, clinching the Brooklyn Open title at the Marine Park Golf Course in Brooklyn, USA. After an eight-year hiatus from the event, Samuda won the championship division with a stellar performance, shooting a four-under-par 68 on the par-72 course. His victory came by the narrowest of margins, finishing just one stroke ahead of Gabe Lee, who shot a 69. Andrew Giuliani and fellow Jamaican Luke Watson both tied for third, with scores of one-under-par 71.
The championship division featured 29 highly competitive players, including professional golfers like 40-year-old Gabe Lee, a Korean golfer based in Queens, and 38-year-old Andrew Giuliani, a former professional who competed for seven years.
Samuda, at 54 years old, is a caddy at Pine Valley Golf Course in New Jersey, a course often ranked among the best in the world. Reflecting on his victory, Samuda expressed his joy, especially after such a long break from the tournament.
“It’s been about eight years since I last played the Brooklyn Open,” Samuda shared. “When I heard about the tournament, I decided to enter and played a practice round just to get familiar with the course again. The day before the tournament, it rained heavily for two days, so the course was soft, but in great condition. The greens were rolling fast, so controlling the speed of my putts was crucial."
He added that his strong start on the front nine helped him maintain momentum. "By the 13th hole, I was five under par but made bogeys on holes eight and nine before birdying hole ten to finish at four under. I started on hole twelve because of the shotgun start and finished on hole eleven. I didn’t realize how close the competition was, so winning by one stroke was a great surprise. It feels amazing to win the Brooklyn Open for the first time.”
'The game is testing me' – More agony for McIlroy as Horschel wins BMW PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy admitted golf is "testing" him more than usual after enduring yet another near miss at the BMW PGA Championship, losing to Billy Horschel in a play-off.
McIlroy, Horschel and Thriston Lawrence were forced into a three-way play-off after they all finished 20-under through four rounds at Wentworth.
Lawrence carded a final round of 65 to close a two-shot gap to McIlroy and Horschel, but the South African bogeyed the first play-off hole to put himself out of contention.
Horschel then wrapped up his second triumph at Wentworth with an eagle on the second, having previously triumphed at the event in 2021.
McIlroy has endured a frustrating year, missing two close-range putts when in pole position to win the US Open in June, then slipping again on the final round to finish second at last week's Irish Open.
Speaking after Sunday's play-off, the Northern Irishman said: "Last week was a tough one but I left there with my head held high with the way I played the last hole, trying to make three.
"Two weeks in a row I've played well. Just not quite well enough. The game is testing me a little more than it has done in the past, but that's fine.
"It could have been a different year but the nice thing is there's next year and the year after and the year after and the year after.
"If you think of my career as a 30-year journey, it's only one year in a 30-year journey, and hopefully the other 29 are a little more productive or a little bit better."
Horschel, meanwhile, admitted the struggles of the four-time major winner, a close friend of his, put a slight dampener on his victory.
"I'm thrilled and excited for the way I played," Horschel said.
"At the same time I'm a little disappointed – Rory is a great friend of mine and he's a generational talent. I know how close he's been this year so I feel for him.
"I needed a bit of luck. There was a lot of luck on my side to get this victory today."
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