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• T&T's Martin joins American McClear atop leaderboard ahead of final day at Jamaica Open

  Trinidad and Tobago’s Benjamin Martin joined American Mac McClear atop the standings at the 57th Jamaica Open Golf Championships after another positive display on Monday’s second day of action at Tryall Golf Club in Hanover.

  Both Martin and McClear are tied at six under par 138 heading into Tuesday’s final day, which will determine this year’s Jamaica Open champion.

  Martin, who shot 70 on Sunday’s first day, showed great composure to achieve a four under par 68 on day two, a performance that propelled him into contention for top honours.

  “It’s always nice to lead, and I hope it can stay that way for the final round. It is key to stick to the routine, take it one shot at a time, and try your best,” Martin said.

  Interestingly, Jacob Lehman of Canada also posted a four under par 68 to move fifth overall at two under par.

  McClear, who scored a one under par 71 for the second round, acknowledged that he fell well short of his day one performance, a five under par 67.

  “I didn’t have my best stuff today. I didn’t do a whole lot right, but I battled hard and am happy to be tied for the lead. I just have to do the same thing as I have been doing the last two days, which has been working so far, so I’ll just keep doing it,” he said.

  Another American Ryan Sullivan and Frenchman Pierre Viallaneix are tied for third place on 139. They were just one stroke off the leaders, which makes for an exciting final day.

  Justin Burrowes is the best-placed professional Jamaican golfer in seventh at 144, and he expressed pleasure with his performance in the championship so far.

  “It feels good, I would say. I know I could do a little better for sure, but I feel like I am in a good spot after two days. I just have to keep on doing what I am doing, stick to the process, and kind of enjoy it. I feel like I have enjoyed it a lot more this year than last year, so that really helps when you are not focused on all of the external stuff, so I just plan to do more of the same tomorrow, hopefully some puts fall in and that’s about it,” Burrowes reasoned.

  Meanwhile, Trey Williams, who recently excited the junior ranks, was having his best run at the Jamaica Open. His two-day score of six over par 150 puts him at three shots ahead of his nearest competitor in the amateur section. 

  Oshae Haye, the day one joint leader, ended the penultimate round three shots behind Williams on 153, while Sean Morris, the defending champion, occupied the third spot but was just one stroke back on 154 after shooting two over par 74 in the round.

• Waring sees off big names in Abu Dhabi as McIlroy consolidates Race to Dubai lead

  Paul Waring edged out some of the DP World Tour's biggest names to claim the Abu Dhabi Championship title on Sunday.

  Waring, who shot a course-record 61 in the second round, closed out with a six-under-par 66 at Yas Links to beat Tyrell Hatton by two shots, finishing on 24 under.

  Rory McIlroy finished third after going round in 64. He was tied on 21 under par for the weekend along with Matt Wallace and Thorbjorn Olsen.

  Waring's win marks just his second DP World Tour success, and his first title in six years.

  "To keep control of myself in the way I did, I'm really proud of myself. I'm a bit taken aback right now," said Waring.

  "I felt that my golf game has been in such a good place over the past year, I just haven't put it all together. What a week for it all to click together."

  McIlroy's efforts on the final day, meanwhile, saw him finish a shot ahead of Thriston Lawrence, who is the Northern Irishman's closest challenger in the Race to Dubai rankings.

  "I set myself a target with six holes to go and I achieved that target," said McIlroy.

  "I was glad to make the four at the last and give myself a little bit more of a cushion going into Dubai."

  Tommy Fleetwood rounded out with 67, meaning he finished tied for fourth on 20 under, two shots ahead of Shane Lowry, who dropped three shots across the final six holes.

  The DP World Tour season wraps up in Dubai next week, with McIlroy looking well set to finish top of the standings.

• Defending champion Andrew Arft aims to repeat victory at Jamaica Open

  Defending champion Andrew Arft is ready to tee off in pursuit of a consecutive Jamaica Open title as he begins his campaign on Sunday at the Tryall Golf Club. If successful, Arft would become the first player since Russ Cochran in 2011 and 2012 to claim back-to-back victories at the prestigious event.

  After playing in the Pro-Am tournament on Saturday, Arft shared his comfort with the Tryall course, noting that the layout feels familiar. “I feel really well. I was out on the course today, just remembering the course and seeing it,” he said. “It kind of feels comfortable on the tee shots, and I had a great Pro-Am group from Palladium. They kept it light and fun, which was great.”

  Despite a few changes in course conditions compared to last year, Arft expects the challenge to remain formidable. “It’s going to be windy. The course is wet compared to last year, which was firmer,” he observed. “It’s a give and take thing. The course might play a bit easier since the balls won’t bounce everywhere, but we won’t get as much roll on the fairways, so there’ll be longer shots in. Less balls will bounce into tricky spots, but it will still play just as hard as last year, just in a different way.”

  Arft also highlighted that it’s the welcoming atmosphere of Jamaica that motivated him to return. “It’s more of the people than anything. The golf course is top notch and I love it, but right when I step foot in the airport – different type of niceness around here,” Arft remarked. “Everyone is really cordial and laidback, and I definitely feed off the people’s energy. When I have good people around me, I feel good as well.”

  As Arft prepares to defend his title, he’ll be leaning on his familiarity with Tryall’s unique challenges and the supportive environment that Jamaica offers, aiming to add his name to the short list of champions who have won the Jamaica Open in consecutive years.