Sean Morris and Dr Mark Newnham will defend Francis & Steele Perkins Trophy in Florida in October following their comprehensive victory in the Jamaica Golf Association's (JGA) Four-Ball Trials at Caymanas Golf Club on the weekend.
Going into Sunday’s final day with a 10-stroke lead, the pair shot three-under-par 69 to win by 15 strokes. They had a three-day total score of 201.
"We started at 12 under par today (Sunday). We knew we did not have to do much and that might have caused some complacency in our approach. We took the opportunity to work out our synergy and to see how deep we could get to in posting a similar score for the first two days,” Morris explained.
“After we went bogey on seven and eight, it kind of cancelled the eagle we had at two and the birdie we had at six but we moved ahead of that slippage at seven and eight and we proceeded to take on the back nine where we carded a two-under-par round and put us at three-under-par for the day."
The team of Phillip Prendergast and Owen Samuda scored one under par 71 for a three-day combined total of 213 (74, 68) but were unable to challenge the leaders. Meanwhile, the third place team of Radcliffe Knibbs and John O'Donoghue were five strokes further back on 218 after posting scores of 73, 75 and two-under-par 70 on the final day.
The top three teams that were in the running for the qualifying spot to represent Jamaica for the Higgs & Higgs Cup were led by Michael Boyd and Bert Tomlinson. They carded three under par 69 on the final day for their three-day total of two under par 214, which included 75 and 70 on the first and second day respectively.
Former JGA president Wayne Chai Chong teamed up with Rory Jardine to take the second spot. They ended with 218 overall after posting scores of 76, 70 and level par 72 on the final day.
Newly elected president of the JGA, Jodi Munn-Barrow had a good day on the course along with teammate Alison Reid to score four over par 76 for a combined total of 225.
They posted 75 and 74 on the two previous days. They will represent Jamaica at the Marie Nunes Trophy that they won at the last Caribbean Golf Association's Four-Ball championship which was played in Florida in 2019.
"(I am) very happy with how Alison and I played today. We didn't get in any trouble. we didn't get out of place on any hole and I think we did a solid three-day tournament and I think we are both very happy with it."
The final competing category, the Dessie Henry Trophy, saw the team of long-time national representatives Maggi Lyn and Michele McCreath ending the trials on 232 after scoring 75, 76 and 81 over the three days.
The teams will now go into a period of intense preparation for the Caribbean Golf Association's Four-Ball Championship which is scheduled to be held in Florida in October.
Jamaica is also the defending champion for the Ambrose Gouthro Trophy, which it won in 2019 for the first time. There was no championship in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.