Jamaica has been having a good time at the 36th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship (CAJGC) which is being played at the Caymanas Golf Course in St. Catherine.
At the end of the second round, they were first in the Girls 18 and Under and tied for second Girls 11-13 section but did not have competitions.
On the boys’ side they were second in the 18 and Under and the 11–13 sections and fifth in the 15 and Under category.
Mattea Issa, who ended the first day in second place, closed day two tied for first with Camila Negroni of Puerto Rico. Their combined score was 159 each. Issa made up the five-point deficit from the opening round after scoring seven over par 79 to Negroni’s 12 over par 84.
Jamaica’s sole representative in the 11-13 section, Alessandra Coe, improved her joint-third position on day one to second at the end of the second round.
She scored 86 in the round on top of 87 in the previous round for a two-day total of 173. Arissa Robinson of the Bahamas maintained her day one lead with 168 after two days with scores of 85 and 83.
Jamaica does not have any representative in the 15 and Under category.
On the boys’ side Ryan Lue was still the best placed Jamaican on the course even though he lost his position at the top of the leaderboard in the 18 and Under category.
He still had the lowest score of the championship with his five under par 67 in the first round. His second-round score of six over par 78 gave him a two-day total of one over par 145 which was five strokes behind the new leader Evan Pena of Puerto Rico.
Pena swapped place with Lue to top the second day leaderboard with scores of two days of two under par 70 resulting four under pay 140.
The other Jamaicans in the category were Trey Williams in fifth place on 154 (73, 81), Aman Dhiman one place back in sixth but with just one stroke separating them after posting 155 (72,83) at the end of the round. Noah Azan and Jerone Thomas were tied for 15th place on 167 for the two rounds.
Shasa Redlefsen who lead the 11-13 category at the end of day one dropped to second with his combined score of 158 (79, 79) after two rounds. Machael Avila of Puerto Rico took over the lead when he shot two under par on day two along with 86 in the first round for a total score of 156 which put him two strokes ahead of Redlefsen.
The other Jamaican in the category, Jacob Schnoor, remained in 11th place with scores of 104 and 97 for 102 overall.
The two Jamaicans in the 15 and Under category – Jamal Stewart and Kemari Morris - were languishing in 13th and 14th place, respectively with scores of 176 and 177. The leader in the category was Tomas Rodriguez of Puerto Rico who maintained his day one position with scores of even par 72 and four under par 68 for overall four under par 140. He shot the lowed score in the second round.
The course condition on day two ranged from rain in the morning to hot and sunny afternoon with little wind. Several of the golfers including the Jamaicans posted higher scores than day one which could account for the higher day two scores.
Jamaica’s Ryan Lue posted the lowest score of all the golfers on the Caymanas Golf Course during Wednesday’s first round of the 36th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship (CAJGC).
He carded an impressive five under par 67 which included six birdies and one bogey. The birdies were on holes six, nine, 10, 14, 15 and 17 while the bogey was on hole number two.
Lue was happy with his day one score which he said was the result of patience.
“Patience and preparation. I have been preparing and I just stayed patient today so I produced a pretty good score. I just played my game. I didn’t rush anything. Didn’t try to force birdies or make stupid mistakes on the course. I just kept it going. Took my birdies when they came, made a lot of pars and just happy with my result,” he said.
His nearest rival was Evan Pena of Puerto Rico who was three shots back having score two under par 70. They were the only ones to post under par scores in the found.
The other Jamaicans in the under 18 age group were Aman Dhiman with an even par 72 in third place, followed closely by Trey Williams who was tied for fourth place on one over par 73, as well as Noah Azan 82 in 14th position and Jerone Thomas 86 in 21st place.
Shasa Redlefsen topped the leaderboard in the 11-13 age group after posting seven over par 79 but was just one stroke ahead of Otiz Bayoan of Puerto Rico on 80. Jacob Schnoor occupied the 11th spot with his 104.
Jamaica’s two representatives in the 15 and Under category were in 11th and 15th place respectively. They are Jamal Stewart 84 and Kemari Morris 92. The top three in the category were Kerrington Rolle of the Bahamas 72, Tomas Rodriguez 72 who were tied for first place and Aman Newton 75.
On the girls’ side, Puerto Rico’s Camila Negroni was leading the 18 and Under category after posting three over par 75 in the round. Mattea Issa was five shots back on eight over par 80 in second place.
Negroni was pleased with her performance.
“It feels amazing. I hit my irons really good today. I made a lot of fairways. I am looking forward to tomorrow and making a lot of good shots, making a lot of puts and just fixing what I thought could be better today,” she said.
Jamaica’s lone representative in the 11-13 age group was Alessandra Coe on two strokes off the lead. She ended the round tied for third place with Isabella Ramdeen of Trinidad & Tobago. The leader was Arissa Robinson of the Trinidad & Tobago on 13 over par 85.
Jamaica does not have any representative in the 15 and Under category, however the top three were Madison Carroll-Carlos of the Bahamas 81, Shania Reyes 83 and Mariella Young 83.
Jamaica’s coach Jason Lopez assessed the day’s play.
“There has been some very high level golf. I am very impressed every year. You always see some players that you are obviously familiar with from years gone by and then you see some players you’ve never seen before and you like wow where did this player cone from, which is wonderful because it means that there is talent being developed throughout the region so for me that is a positive,” he said.
“Myself and Johnny (the other Jamaican coach) couldn’t be more pleased. The message we tried to get across to our team was to unweight themselves cause some times playing at home can be an advantage but also there is a lot of expectation. We saw our team very bubbly, very loose, a lot of smiles, a lot of pep in the step and that’s what we asked for attitude wise,” he added.
The 36th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship (CAJGC) teed off in vibrant fashion on Tuesday evening with a colourful opening ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston. Hosted by the Jamaica Golf Association (JGA), the event welcomed teams from eight countries to compete in the prestigious tournament.
This year’s championship sees participation from teams representing the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, and host Jamaica. The opening ceremony set an enthusiastic tone for the competition, which had been rescheduled from July due to the passing of Hurricane Beryl.
Jodi Munn-Barrow, president of the JGA, extended a warm welcome to all teams and expressed confidence in a successful tournament. "Everything is in place for a very good championship," Munn-Barrow stated, emphasizing the meticulous preparations made despite the earlier postponement.
Eduardo Figueroa, coach of defending champions Puerto Rico, expressed high expectations for his team, indicating their strong preparation and determination to retain the title.
Alison Reid, manager of the Jamaican team, acknowledged some logistical challenges resulting from the rescheduling but remained optimistic. "Some persons who planned to compete when it was scheduled for July are no longer available, and the team will have fewer numbers than previously committed," Reid said. "However, the team will still put on a good show."
Jamaica’s coaching duo, Jonathan Newnhan and Jason Lopez, also shared their confidence in the team’s potential. Newnhan highlighted the team’s thorough preparation, while Lopez pointed out the advantage of competing on the Caymanas Golf Course, where the team has been practicing extensively.
The Jamaican team features talented players including team captain Mattea Issa, Trey Williams, Aman Dhiman, and Ryan Lue, all competing in the Under-18 category. Players will also compete in the Under-15 and Under-13 categories for both boys and girls.
Peter Levey of the major sponsor British Caribbean Insurance Company (BCIC) expressed his company’s delight in supporting the event. "We are very happy to be on board for this year’s staging of the CAJGC as it represents a very good opportunity to support the development of youth sport," Levey remarked.
The championship boasts a wide array of sponsors including Restaurants of Jamaica (KFC), Sandals Foundation, WATA, CMK, Jamaica Pegasus, Fleetwood Jamaica Limited, R&A, Island Car Rentals & Tours, Digicel Business, Titlest, and several others, demonstrating strong community and corporate backing for the event.
The competition tees off on Wednesday at 8:00 am with the first of three rounds of 18 holes each, concluding on Friday. The closing ceremony will follow the final round, celebrating the achievements of the young golfers.
The Caribbean region’s best young golfers are set to descend upon Jamaica’s Caymanas Golf Course soon to participate in the 36th staging of the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship.
Teams will start arriving in Jamaica on July 1 with the competition set to take place from July 3-5 with the first tee time set at 7:00 AM local time.
There will be eight competing countries and these include hosts Jamaica, defending champions Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.
Among these countries, there will be approximately 85 participants taking part in the championships split into the Boys and Girls 18 & Under, Boys & Girls 15 & Under and Boys & Girls 13 & Under categories.
The official media launch for the junior golf showcase was held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on Thursday.
“The hosting of this prestigious event represents not only a celebration of golf, but it also fulfils our mandate by providing a platform for our junior golfers to hone their skills in addition to being a testament to the spirit of sportsmanship, camaraderie and youthful exuberance that thrives in our Caribbean region,” said President of the Jamaica Golf Association, Jodi Munn-Barrow, at Thursday’s launch.
Lead sponsors of the July 3-5 championships are BCIC Insurance Company Limited and their CEO, Peter Levy, expressed happiness to be a part of this competition.
“It’s an opportunity for us to reaffirm BCIC’s commitment to youth development through our title sponsorship of this prestigious event,” he said.
“BCIC has always believed in the power of sport to shape our society and we see this partnership as an investment in the dreams and aspirations of young golfers across the Caribbean,” he added.
Also on hand to give a glimpse of what to expect from the course itself was Caymanas Golf Club General Manager, Peter Lindo.
“Our picturesque little course in St. Catherine eagerly awaits the talented young golfers who will be representing their countries. Our course superintendent, Mr. Jerry Hardy, and out groundskeepers have been working meticulously preparing the course taking every measure possible to present optimal playing conditions,” he said.
“We’ve had some unusually hot dry weather up until last week and that little spell of rain has given us an even greener landscape. One of the challenges we’ve had over the years is the deterioration of our bunkers and Jamaica Aggregates Limited were very kind in donating sand which will go a very long way in the resuscitation of the bunkers,” he added.
Other main sponsors for the championship include Sandals Foundation, R&A, Fleetwood, ORCA Golf, Caribbean Golf Association, CMK Bakery and Digicel Business.
Alison Reid has renewed calls for more females to consider participating in golf to help drive growth and, by extension, prolong Jamaica’s success in the sport on the regional stage.
Reid’s comments follow another credible showing by the country’s young prospects at the just-concluded 35th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships, where they secure two individual trophies courtesy of Emily Mayne and Rocco Lopez.
The Jamaican team which placed third overall with 116 points behind Puerto Rico (161 points), who took the coveted Hank James trophy, while Dominican Republic was second on 131 points.
Reid, who served as manager for the team stressed the need to increase the number of girls who play the sport going forward.
“Even though we are losing two players, we will still have a good 18 and under Boys section. The girls are where we are weak. It's hard to find girls and so that's where we really have to put our emphasis in,” Reid said.
Mayne, who was the team’s captain, brought home the second-place trophy in the 18 and under girls. She scored 14 over par 227 to end the tournament 15 shots behind group winner Holly McLean (212) of host country Cayman Islands.
Jamaica's other representative in the category, Mattea Issa, ended sixth, after posting 28 over par 241. Jamaica placed second in the group.
Mayne expressed pride at the team’s performance, especially due to the tough conditions they had to endure.
“The conditions we faced, it was very, very windy and of course we are used to some wind in Jamaica, but we really had to adapt to the wind. The First day was not so bad, but the second day and the third the wind really did pick up, so we had the whole 18 holes for both days in the wind,” Mayne explained.
"I went into the tournament trying not to put too much pressure on myself as I won last year but of course in the back of your head you are always going to put a bit of pressure on yourself. The girl, who won Holly, it was her home course, but I just try to stick to my game plan. The first day I had a rough start, probably just due to some nerves but then I brought it back on the second day and the last day,” she added.
Lopez, who entered the final day joint third with Aman Dhiman, finished with a one under par 70, to end three over par 216 in third place in the 18 and under boys’ section. He was one of just three players to post under par score during the championship.
Puerto Rico’s Kelvin Hernandez finished tops with a 10 under par 203, while Dhiman (227) and Ryan Lue (230), collected enough points to bag third place in the group.
“The scores weren't too bad, but I felt like I could have played a lot better. I felt like I wasn't hitting the ball that great. I like the greens, but I couldn't make puts and I didn't make all birdies, but I managed to scramble very well and that kept me around par each day,” said Lopez.
Meanwhile, the two 11-13 boys, Kemari Morris and Shasa Redlefsen were responsible for the third place in the group. Puerto Rico was the group winner.
The girls' 11-13 representatives, Alessandra Coe contributed the team's fourth place in the group won by The Bahamas, while the 15 & under girls, Samantha Azan and Anoushka Katri, also gave points to the group's fourth place finish. Puerto Rico won the category.
Aaron Ghosh and Davin Hogan closed the championship in sixth place in the 15 & under boys’ category, also won by Puerto Rico.
The first-round of the three-day Jamaica Golf Association national junior golf trials took place at the Caymanas Golf Club on Friday.
Ten players in the Girls 18 & under, Boys and Girls 15 & under and Boys and Girls 13 & under age- groups began their journey for a place on Jamaica’s team to the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship in the Cayman Islands from July 3-8. The Boys 18 & under completed their trials two weeks ago.
The scores from Friday's action showed some very competitive match-ups.
Emily Mayne and Mattea Issa both scored five over par 77 to be joint leaders in the Girls 18 and under category. They each posted two birdies and seven bogeys on the day.
Aaron Ghosh and Davin Hogan scored 83 and 98 respectively in the Boys 15 and under age-group while Anoushka Khatri shot 89 and Samantha Azan shot 94 in their respective first-rounds in the Girls 15 & under age-group.
The three players in the boys 13 & under category, Kemari Morris, Shasha Redfelsen and Cameron Coe, are closely tracking each other after round one with scores of 85, 89 and 91, respectively.
The lone representative in the girls 13 & under category is Alessandra Coe who scored 91 for her first round.
Second round action begins with all golfers teeing off at 9:00 am on Saturday.
The opening round of the 2022 Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships unfolded in the Turks and Caicos Islands on Wednesday with all of the expected competitiveness and somewhat unexpected weather conditions, leaving both the team and Individual leaderboards intriguingly poised.
Players from nine CGA member countries battled both high winds and - during the closing sessions - heavy downpours in an eventful first day.
Puerto Rico and Cayman are tied for the lead in the men's Hoerman Cup Team standings, with the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago rounding out the top five.
In the Ladies' Team competition for the George Teale trophy, Jamaica sat atop the leaderboard, by a two-stroke margin over Puerto Rico, followed by the Dominican Republic, Barbados and the Bahamas respectively.
Vying for individual honours, Gustavo Rangel from Puerto Rico is the individual leader with 2 under par for 70.
The Cayman Islands' Justin Hastings and the Dominican Republic's Rhadames Peña carded an identical 71 (1 under) to lead the chasing pack comprising Payten Wight of the Cayman Islands and Puerto Rico's Kelvin Hernandez.
Caymanian Holly McLean, with 75, was a stroke ahead of Puerto Rico's Darianys Guzman in a similarly close contest for the women's individual honors. Also in the mix are the Dominican Republic's Yae Yun Kim, with 77, and the "two Emilys" - Mayne of Jamaica and Odwin of Barbados, who carded identical 78s.
The Arthur Ziadie trophy for the best overall team also remains virtually anyone's game, with Puerto Rico in the lead at 14 points and Jamaica 2 points behind followed by Dominican Republic with 10 points
Samantha Azan and Emily Mayne closed the championship on top of their respective age groups but Jamaica fell short of the team title at the 34th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships that ended on Thursday.
Azan won the 15 & Under category while Mayne was tied for first place in the 18 & Under categories.
Azan led on day one, dropped to third on day two but bounced back to win outright on the final day by just one stroke ahead of the day-two leader Mattea Issa. Issa was tied for second with Victoria Rivera and Elvin Krishny of Puerto Rico.
Azsan shot a six over par 78 for a three-day total of 231 while Issa posted her worst score of the competition of nine over par 81 to end on 232.
Mayne enjoyed a good tournament, moving from third on day one to first on day two. Her final day score of 80 saw her end with a three-day total of 11 over par 224, tied with Emily Odwin of Barbados. Meanwhile, Eryn Blakely maintained her second-day position of seventh place after she scored 80 to close the championship on 251.
Alessandra Coe was Jamaica's lone female in the 13 & Under category. She finished in eighth place with scores of 103, 99 and 106 for a combined total of 308. Ava Saavedra of Puerto Rico won the category after posting an overall score of 237.
The results of the female golfers are significant as it is the first time any female was winning any of the age group categories. The coaches, Jason Lopez and Jonathan Newnham, who won an age group category as a player, as well as team manager Alison Reid, were extremely proud of their performances.
Ryan Lue was the best-placed Jamaican male. He competed in the 15 & Under category and closed the championship with a score of 239, good for fourth place.
Aaron Gosh scored 167 for 10th place while Lek Drummond was tied for 14th place with Camdyn Forbes of the Bahamas on 275.
The 15 & Under category winner was Danny Lyne of the Cayman Islands after scoring 76 on the final day with a combined total of 13 over par 236.
Rocco Lopez ended eighth in the 18 & Under category. He scored 234 over the three days. Trey Williams came 10th with 241 while Aman Dhiman was tied for 14th on 244. Alexander Dupuch of the Bahamas posted the same three-day total.
The 18 & Under category went to Kelvin Hernandez of Puerto Rico with scores of 73, 68 and 69 for a combined total of three under par 210.
The final male age group of 13 & Under went to Evan Pena of Puerto Rico who led on all three days. He posted scores of 73, 74, and 81 for a combined total of 15 over par 228. The two Jamaicans - Kemari Morris 269 and Shasa Fedlefsen 272 were eighth and ninth respectively.
Most of the members of the Jamaican team left the island Saturday morning for Palmas Del Mar in Puerto Rico for the 34th staging of the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships. The players will team up with Eryn Blakely in Puerto Rico and have at least one practice round ahead of Tuesday's start of the competition.
The team is said to be in high spirits, confident of representing the country well at the championships. Team coaches, Jonathan Newnham and Jason Lopez, as well as the most experienced male and female players Rocco Lopez and Emily Mayne, respectively, were upbeat about Jamaica's chances this time around having come close in 2018 and 2019 when they finished in second place on each occasion.
“We are ready to go and I am excited. We have done our prep. We are going there to make sure we understand the course properly and then go out there and execute as best as possible so I am excited for the journey ahead and look forward to a great week," said Dr Newnham.
Coach Lopez said everyone prepared well having been assessed on various golf courses across the island including Caymanas, Cinnamon Hill, Constant Spring, Half Moon, Sandals and Tryall.
"We are well prepared. We had a great training series. Between myself, Jonny and Alison (team manager) we were able to do a comprehensive review of all the kids’ games, testing on different golf courses (and) different facilities. Of course, they all have their own personal coaches and I think they are well prepared for this event," said Lopez.
“The mental preparation will start now, to try and prepare them to perform without putting too much pressure on themselves. That will be the job going forward."
The other team members on the boys’ side are 18 & Under - Aman Dhiman and Trey Williams; 15 & Under - Lek Drummond, Aaron Ghosh and Ryan Lue and 11-13 - Kemari Morris and Shasa Redlefsen; while the girls are 15 & Under - Samantha Azan and Mattea Issa, and 11-13 - Alessandra Coe who is making her first trip as a national representative.
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