Michael Maguire was the winner among the pros while Justin Burrowes (l) rallied to take the amateur title.
Contributed
Michael Maguire of the USA sank a long birdie putt on Wednesday to clinch the 54th Jamaica Open Golf Championships in a dramatic play-off with countryman Ryan Sullivan on Wednesday as Dustin Risdon, who after the first two days collapsed during the final round to finish fifth.
Meanwhile, Justin Burrowes stormed back to pip defending champion William Knibbs for the amateur title.
Maguire and Sullivan each ended the regulation 72 holes on 8 under par 208 with scores 69 and 65, respectively, forcing a play-off for the title.
On the first hold, Sullivan made par. Maguire seized the opportunity with a birdie to improve on his third-place finishes in 2017 and 2019.
Sullivan's nine-under-par 65 was the best one-day score of the championship, just missing out on the record of 63 scored by Hernan Borja in 2017 at the Half Moon Golf Course while winning the Jamaica Open that year.
Stephen Grant, also of the USA, scored a four-under-par 68 for a three-day total of 209 which placed him third overall. Fourth went to Trinidad and Tobago’s Benjamin Martin, who shot 71 for a total score of 210.
Dustin Risdon of Canada, who led after the first and second days, respectively, lost his way after posting 3 over par 75 on the final day to end on 211 to take the fifth spot.
Meanwhile, Wesley Brown was the best local golfer along with Aaron Bailey after they carded rounds of 78 and 75, respectively, to end on nine-over-par 225. Brown was not happy with his overall position of joint ninth. Bailey, on the other hand, was pleased with his placing even though he believed he could have played better.
Among the amateurs, Burrowes began Wednesday’s final day six strokes behind the day one and day two leader Knibbs but the two-time winner rallied with a three-under-par 69 for an overall score of one over par 217 to deny Knibbs, who carded his worst score, a 10-over-par 82 and eight-over 224 for the tournament.
Rocco Lopez was third on 231 after scoring 79 on the last day. Fourteen-year-old Ryan Lue was joint third with Shamar Wilson. They shot 79 and 83, respectively, to end on 237.
Jamaica Golf Association president Jodi Munn-Barrow and presenting sponsor Scott Summy of Aqua Bay Resort were pleased with the tournament this year. Summy promised to be back as a sponsor.
Merger of golf’s feuding factions sends shockwaves through sport
DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley has hailed the shock declaration of peace between the game’s warring factions as a “great victory for global golf”.
Players reacted with shock, surprise and a sense of betrayal at the news the PGA Tour and DP World Tour were merging their commercial operations with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.
The stunning announcement came after 12 months of unprecedented disruption in the men’s professional game following the launch of LIV, which held its first event from June 9-11 in 2022 in Hertfordshire.
The manager of one high-profile DP World Tour member told the PA news agency that players felt aggrieved at the lack of communication and were “extremely shocked” by the decision given the long suspensions and heavy fines handed out to rebel players.
In April, the DP World Tour won its legal battle against 12 players who committed “serious breaches” of its code of behaviour by playing in LIV Golf events without permission.
The subsequent increased fines and suspensions prompted Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson to resign their memberships and become ineligible for the Ryder Cup.
Those players could now return, with the Tours pledging to establish a “fair and objective process” to re-apply for membership, although Pelley confirmed they would need to pay their fines and serve their suspensions before being considered for reinstatement.
Asked how he would respond to suggestions that the agreement represented a victory for LIV Golf, Pelley said: “I would say it’s a great victory for global golf.
“It’s a fantastic victory for the consumer, it’s great for European golf, it’s great for our members. We’re a members’ organisation and that’s always front and centre in my mind.
“This is a win for global professional golf and for the DP World Tour. We are mature grown-ups. The divisiveness is now over. We are just beginning and it’s going to be a fun ride.”
In response to accusations that the deal amounted to what Amnesty International described as part of the “onward march of Saudi sportswashing”, Pelley said: “We brought the Saudis into the game in 2018 and we had no challenge with what they were trying to do (with the Saudi International).
“The challenge that we had is that they were playing outside the ecosystem (with LIV) and outside of the global professional golf infrastructure, and now they are playing inside it, and I’m energised by the fact that the PIF (Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund) and the PGA Tour will both be working closely with the DP World Tour to grow our tour and grow it for our members.”
Announcing the deal, which was remarkably kept under wraps, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said: “After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love.
“This transformational partnership recognises the immeasurable strength of the PGA Tour’s history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV, including the team golf concept, to create an organisation that will benefit golf’s players, commercial and charitable partners and fans.”
The announcement will lead to a “mutually-agreed” end to all pending litigation between the various organisations.
An anti-trust lawsuit against the PGA Tour was originally filed last August by 11 golfers before being taken over by LIV Golf. It was due to be heard in 2024.
PIF will initially be the exclusive investor in the new entity and have the right of first refusal on any capital to be invested.
The PGA Tour will appoint a majority of the board and hold a majority voting interest in the combined entity, with PIF’s governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan the chairman and Monahan the CEO.
Pelley said he had “every confidence” that the DP World Tour would have a seat on the full board when it is finalised, but admitted it was too early to tell exactly what the merger would mean for its 2024 schedule, which was due to be released next month.
Reaction to the merger from rank-and-file members of the PGA Tour was not positive, with Wesley Bryan writing on Twitter: “I feel betrayed, and will not be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA TOUR for a very long time.”
Former BMW PGA Championship winner Ben An wrote: “I’m guessing the LIV teams were struggling to get sponsors and PGA Tour couldn’t turn down the money.
“Win-win for both tours but it’s a big lose for who defended the tour for last two years.”
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods emerged as the biggest defenders of the PGA Tour and both had called for LIV CEO Greg Norman to step down before there could be any chance of peace talks.
Norman’s name was conspicuously absent from the announcement of the merger, while defending champion McIlroy is due to speak to the media on Wednesday ahead of the RBC Canadian Open.
Merger of golf’s warring factions sends shockwaves through sport
DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley has hailed the shock declaration of peace between the game’s warring factions as a “great victory for global golf”.
Players reacted with shock, surprise and a sense of betrayal at the news the PGA Tour and DP World Tour were merging their commercial operations with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.
The stunning announcement came after 12 months of unprecedented disruption in the men’s professional game following the launch of LIV, which held its first event from June 9-11 in 2022 in Hertfordshire.
The manager of one high-profile DP World Tour member told the PA news agency that players felt aggrieved at the lack of communication and were “extremely shocked” by the decision given the long suspensions and heavy fines handed out to rebel players.
In April, the DP World Tour won its legal battle against 12 players who committed “serious breaches” of its code of behaviour by playing in LIV Golf events without permission.
The subsequent increased fines and suspensions prompted Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson to resign their memberships and become ineligible for the Ryder Cup.
Those players could now return, with the Tours pledging to establish a “fair and objective process” to re-apply for membership, although Pelley confirmed they would need to pay their fines and serve their suspensions before being considered for reinstatement.
Asked how he would respond to suggestions that the agreement represented a victory for LIV Golf, Pelley said: “I would say it’s a great victory for global golf.
“It’s a fantastic victory for the consumer, it’s great for European golf, it’s great for our members. We’re a members’ organisation and that’s always front and centre in my mind.
“This is a win for global professional golf and for the DP World Tour. We are mature grown-ups. The divisiveness is now over. We are just beginning and it’s going to be a fun ride.”
In response to accusations that the deal amounted to what Amnesty International described as part of the “onward march of Saudi sportswashing”, Pelley said: “We brought the Saudis into the game in 2018 and we had no challenge with what they were trying to do (with the Saudi International).
“The challenge that we had is that they were playing outside the ecosystem (with LIV) and outside of the global professional golf infrastructure, and now they are playing inside it, and I’m energised by the fact that the PIF (Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund) and the PGA Tour will both be working closely with the DP World Tour to grow our tour and grow it for our members.”
Announcing the deal, which was remarkably kept under wraps, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said: “After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love.
“This transformational partnership recognises the immeasurable strength of the PGA Tour’s history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV, including the team golf concept, to create an organisation that will benefit golf’s players, commercial and charitable partners and fans.”
The announcement will lead to a “mutually-agreed” end to all pending litigation between the various organisations.
An anti-trust lawsuit against the PGA Tour was originally filed last August by 11 golfers before being taken over by LIV Golf. It was due to be heard in 2024.
PIF will initially be the exclusive investor in the new entity and have the right of first refusal on any capital to be invested.
The PGA Tour will appoint a majority of the board and hold a majority voting interest in the combined entity, with PIF’s governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan the chairman and Monahan the CEO.
Pelley said he had “every confidence” that the DP World Tour would have a seat on the full board when it is finalised, but admitted it was too early to tell exactly what the merger would mean for its 2024 schedule, which was due to be released next month.
Reaction to the merger from rank-and-file members of the PGA Tour was not positive, with Wesley Bryan writing on Twitter: “I feel betrayed, and will not be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA TOUR for a very long time.”
Former BMW PGA Championship winner Ben An wrote: “I’m guessing the LIV teams were struggling to get sponsors and PGA Tour couldn’t turn down the money.
“Win-win for both tours but it’s a big lose for who defended the tour for last two years.”
Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods emerged as the biggest defenders of the PGA Tour and both had called for LIV CEO Greg Norman to step down before there could be any chance of peace talks.
Norman’s name was conspicuously absent from the announcement of the merger, while defending champion McIlroy is due to speak to the media on Wednesday ahead of the RBC Canadian Open.
Players express feelings of shock and betrayal after PGA Tour’s LIV Golf merger
Players expressed shock, surprise and a sense of betrayal at the news the PGA and DP World Tours were merging their commercial operations with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.
More than a year of contention and litigation between LIV and the established Tours and the players who joined the new competition ended in the most astonishing and abrupt fashion on Tuesday with the announcement that the three bodies had set up a new commercial entity to “unify golf”.
One American player, Wesley Bryan, replied to the PGA Tour tweet confirming the merger by writing: “Love finding out info on Twitter. This is amazing. Y’all should be ashamed and have a lot of questions to answer.
“I feel betrayed, and will not not be able to trust anyone within the corporate structure of the PGA TOUR for a very long time.”
The move came as a huge surprise to many professionals, with Canadian Mackenzie Hughes tweeting: “Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour that we said we’d never do that with.”
Fellow pro Ben An wrote: “I’m guessing the LIV teams were struggling to get sponsors and PGA Tour couldn’t turn down the money.
“Win-win for both tours but it’s a big lose for who defended the tour for last two years.”
Six-time Major winner Phil Mickelson, one of the players who joined LIV Golf, described the merger as “awesome news”.
The new entity will be powered by Saudi Arabia’s financial muscle, with the statement confirming the merger saying that the Middle Eastern country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) would “make a capital investment into the new entity to facilitate its growth and success”.
The PIF would also have the exclusive right to further invest in the commercial entity, the statement said.
Amnesty International expressed concern at what it saw as a further attempt by Saudi Arabia to launder its human rights record through the vehicle of sport.
“While this may have taken some golf fans and commentators by surprise, it’s really just more evidence of the onward march of Saudi sportswashing,” Amnesty UK’s Felix Jakens said.
“It’s been clear for some time that Saudi Arabia was prepared to use vast amounts of money to muscle its way into top-tier golf – just part of a wider effort to become a major sporting power and to try to distract attention from the country’s atrocious human rights record.”
R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers welcomed the news of the agreement, writing in a statement: “We care deeply about golf’s future and are committed to ensuring that the sport continues to thrive for many years to come.
“This agreement represents a huge step toward achieving that goal for golf and we look forward to working with the new entity for the benefit of the sport globally.”
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