The Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) announced a 17-member team to the 34th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship scheduled for July 30 to August 4 at the Punta Blanca Golf Course in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Four reserve players have been included in the team that boasts a mixture of experienced and new players and will compete in six age-group categories, three each for girls and boys.
The 18 & Under Boys players comprise Rocco Lopez, Michael Lowe, and Radino Lobban. Zaniel Knight is the reserve player.
Lopez, who is making the team for the fifth time, is the most accomplished player on the team, having won the Bob Slatter Trophy for 13 & Under Boys back in 2018 when the championship was held in Jamaica.
The two 18 & Under Girls are Emily Mayne and Eryn Blakeley. Mayne will also be making her fifth appearance for the team while Blakeley is getting her third cap.
Aman Dhiman, Trey Williams, Ryan Lue and Noah Azan in reserve will compete in the Boys 15 and Under category. Dhiman posted the second-lowest score of four-under-par 68 at the Caymanas Golf Club recently during the JGA's National Golf Championship won by Justin Burrowes.
Mattea Issa, Winni Lau and Mia Cunningham (reserve) were named to the Girls 15 and Under category. Issa and Lau will each be making their fourth appearance at the championship while Cunningham is in her debut year.
The 13 & Under Boys category will see Aarron Khosh, Ramsay Wayner and Kemari Morris as a reserve player. This will be Khosh's second time being named on the team and Morris' first. Wayner's listing on the team is provisional as he is 10 years old. Due to his age, the likelihood he will play will depend on whether JGA gets permission from the Caribbean Golf Association.
The final age group category, the Girls 13 and Under will be filled by Samantha Azan and Anoushka Khatri. This will be Azan's second time being named to the team but her first time playing. She was selected in 2020 but there was no competition due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Khatri is getting her first call up for the team.
Ryan Lue and Aarron Ghosh were also named to the team in 2020 but will be see playing time for the first time as there was no championship in 2020.
The new players on this year's team are Zaniel Knight, Noah Azan, Mia Cunningham, Ramsay Wayner, Kemari Morris and Anoushka Khatri.
Team manager Alison Reid has high expectations for the team. "The junior golf team for 2021 is actually a pretty strong team. There are a lot of experienced players on it, players that have played three, four, five times so it bodes well from an experience point of view,” she said.
“We also have strong juniors in each age group so we at least have one strong player in each age group and then the second place person is also pretty strong."
Reid said that on this occasion there will be two coaches travelling with the team.
“Jonathan Newnham and Jason Lopez; I think both coaches bring different strengths to the table and I think those strengths can only help the team to be its best, both the actual game of golf to the mental game of golf, so we look forward to a very successful tournament."
Several golfers have in the past won age group trophies including Jonathan Newnham, Justin Burrowes and Rocco Lopez, however, the country is still looking for its first country trophy after placing second in 2018 at home and in 2019 in the Bahamas.
Scheffler swinging with confidence at Tour Championship despite seeing lead cut to four
Scottie Scheffler insists his swing is "in a good spot" despite seeing his lead at the top of the Tour Championship standings cut to four shots on the second day.
Scheffler, who is aiming to win his first FedEx Cup title, carded 65 in his opening round and entered the second round with a 10-shot lead.
However, the world number one saw American duo Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele close the gap during a weather-disrupted second round on Friday.
Scheffler carded a round of 66 to take himself to 21 under par, aided by two birdies in the final three holes to keep the chasing back at bay.
"I feel like my swing is in a good spot, and I've hit it nice the last couple of days," he said. "A lot of quality stuff out there, and in a good spot going into the weekend."
Morikawa is four shots off the pace after producing a superb eight-under 63, which was the best round of the day, and has surged up the standings to second place.
In an impressive round, he dropped just one shot on the 11th hole, but made amends on the back nine before closing with back-to-back birdies.
"He's going to continue to make birdies," Morikawa said about the possibility of catching Scheffler. "He's driving it really, really well here, and you're giving yourself enough wedges to make some scoring opportunities out there.
"For me, it's just about bringing energy and just staying alive out there."
Schauffele is in third, one shot behind compatriot Morikawa, after shooting an impressive second-round 64 to remain in the hunt for the $25million prize money.
There is then a four-shot gap until a group of three players, including Adam Scott, are tied for fourth place at 12 under, while Rory McIlroy is tied for 10th place on eight under.
BVI's Adaejah Hodge, Ja's Shanoya Douglas cop gold, bronze in women's 200m at World U-20 Champs
Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) delivered a stunning performance to cop gold in the women’s 200m final at the World Under-20 Championships, while Jamaica’s Shanoya Douglas claimed bronze in Lima, Peru, on Friday.
Hodge, 18, who claimed silver in the same event at the 2022 Championships, upgraded her medal to gold as she topped the field in 22.74s, marking a significant milestone in her budding career.
The Olympian’s victory was the highlight of a successful night for the Caribbean, as 16-year-old Douglas also secured a spot on the podium, finishing third in 23.10s in a thrilling race that once again showcased the region's sprinting prowess. The Caribbean duo was separated by Australia’s Torrie Lewis, who clocked a personal best of 22.88s for second.
From the gun, Hodge, who was determined to improve on her previous silver medal finish, established herself as a solid contender for the top spot. With powerful strides and impeccable form, she maintained her composure around the curve and later exploded in the straight to leave rivals in her wake.
Hodge’s win and Douglas’ bronze brought the curtains down on what was the most successful for the Caribbean since the start of the five-day Championships, as Kerrica Hill earlier copped Jamaica’s second gold medal when she clocked 12.99s to top the women’s 100m hurdles. She won ahead of Croatia’s Mia Wild (13.15s) and Delta Amidzovski (13.24s) of Australia.
Jamaica now has two gold medals and one bronze, while Hodge claimed her country's first medal.
Carlos Brown Jr (21.51s) of the Bahamas finished eighth in the men's 200m final.
Prior to that, Jamaica’s Richard Hall and Cuba’s Yander Herrera missed out on the podium in the men’s final, as both clocked in at 13.46s for fifth and sixth. The event was won by American Ja’Kobe Tharp in a new World Under-20 leading time of 13.05s.
His compatriot Andre Korbmacher (13.14s) was second, with China’s Yuanjiang Chen third in 13.21s, a national Under-20 record.
Meanwhile, Michelle Smith of US Virgin Islands once again established herself as the gold medal favourite, as she was the fastest through to Saturday’s final. Smith clocked a brisk 56.39s to win semi-final two, while Haiti’s Gloria Guerrier (1:00.20) finished eighth and failed to progress.
Jamaica’s Kelly Ann Carr suffered a similar fate in semi-final three as she placed eighth in 1:00.33.
Only one Caribbean athlete will be present in the men’s final and that is Jamaica’s Daniel Wright, who topped semi-final three in 51.11s, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Cheyne West (53.09s) placed seventh in the same race and missed out.
Another Jamaican Trevoy Smith (54.24s), also finished down the track in a brisk semi-final one, which saw the top two qualifiers crossing the line together in a World Under-20 leading time of 49.36s.
The 400m hurdles finals are scheduled for 4:35pm Jamaica time on Saturday.
Jamaica fastest through to men’s and women’s 4x100m finals at World Under-20 Championships
Jamaica’s female and male quartets both looked mightily impressive in the heats of the 4x100m relays on day four of the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Lima, Peru on Friday.
The female team comprising Sabrina Dockery, Alliah Baker, Briana Campbell and Alana Reid first combined to easily win their heat in 43.81, the fastest time in qualifying.
Puerto Rico, who ran a national Under-20 record 45.28 in second in that heat, also made it through to Saturday’s final.
On the men’s side, the team of Jace Witter, Gary Card, Nyrone Wade and Deandre Daley won their heat in 39.54, also the fastest time in the heats.
Trinidad & Tobago’s team of Che Jean-Marc Wickham, Kadeem Chinapoo, Hakeem Chinapoo and Dylan Woodruff will also be in the final after combining to run 39.77 to finish second behind the Jamaicans in heat four.
Jamaica’s women also advanced to the final of the Women’s 4x400m. Abrina Wright, Shanque Williams, Anecia Campbell and Nastassia Fletcher combined to run 3:38.04 to finish second in their heat behind Colombia who won in 3:38.01.
In the field, Jamaica’s Shaiquan Dunn threw 57.82m to advance to the final of the men’s discus.
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