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.