Puerto Rico finished tops at the recently-concluded 36th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship (CAJGC), as they won five of the six age-group trophies on offer at the Caymanas Golf Club.

The other trophy went to The Bahamas, while the Vittoria (Izzy) Marley award for sportsmanship went to Stefaniya Mosyagina of the Dominican Republic.

Host country Jamaica (108 points) was second in two categories and third in one to eventually close the championship in fourth place behind Puerto Rico (154), Dominican Republic (131), and the Bahamas (120).

Anissa Robinson of The Bahamas, who scored 249, won the Girls’ 11-13 category for the John Fitzgerald Harewood trophy, while Isabella Ramdeen (255) of Trinidad & Tobago was second, while Jamaica’s Alessandra Coe (262) was third.

Michael Avila of Puerto Rico Boys notched 230 points to win the Boys’ 11-13 category for the Bob Slatter trophy. He finished ahead of Alejandro Balbuena (241) of the Dominican Republic, who tied for second with Bayoan Ortiz of Puerto Rico. Jamaica’s Shasa Redlefsen (243) was just two strokes back in fourth place after taking the lead at the end of the first day. The other Jamaican player, Jacob Schnoor (296), was 11th overall.

The top three in the Girls’ 15 and Under category for the Kenneth Francis trophy were Amelia Santiago (243) of Puerto Rico, Madison Carrol (247) of The Bahamas, and Shania Reyes (247) of the Dominican Republic. Jamaica did not have a competitor in the category.

Mattea Issa receives her runner-up award from Kallan Sooknoor of the Trinidad and Tobago.

For the Boys’ 15 and under group for the Arturo Pellerano trophy, Tomas Rodriguez (220) of Puerto Rico was first, ahead of second place players Fernando Leduc (227) of Puerto Rico and Arman Newman (227) of Bermuda. Jamaica’s two representatives, Kemari Morris (268) and Jamal Stewart (269), were 14th and 15th, respectively.

The Girls’ 18 and Under category for the Peter Hale trophy went to Camila Negroni (235), who led from the first round. Jamaica’s Mattea Issa (239) finished second after she had been the joint leader with Negroni at the end of the second round. The Dominican Republic’s Stefaniya Mosyagina (245) was third.

Issa was also pleased with her performance, though she thought that she could have played better overall.

“It was a very special event to me. This is the venue where I played my first-ever CAJGC back when I was 11 years old, and to be here when I am 17 still competing and still loving the game really means a lot to me. That’s what I have to look at because although I did not play my best this week—II am pretty disappointed in myself—at least there’s some positives to take away.”

Puerto Rico also grabbed the James Moss Solomon trophy for the Boys’ 18 and under, with Evan Pena recording a six under par 210. Jamaica’s Ryan Lue (223) and Rodrigo Huerto of the Dominican Republic were tied for second.

Lue was the only Jamaican to post an under par score when he shot five under par 67 to top the leaderboard for the first round. That was also the lowest individual score of the championship.

Ryan Lue accepts his award from Dr. Carey Wallace, CEO of TEF

Lue said that he was “very happy to compete” on home soil.

“All my friends are here, family, so to play in front of them, it’s just an honour,” he added.

The other local golfers in the category who completed the championship were Aman Dhiman (232 for fifth), Trey Williams (242 for ninth), and Jerone Thomas (256 for 17th).

Jamaica’s Coach Jonathan Newnham thought that his team played well, especially given that the tournament delay due to the passing of Hurricane Beryl meant some key players were no longer available.

“It was a good week. Unfortunately, with the date changes thanks to Hurricane Beryl, we weren’t able to field a full team, so that reduced our chances of winning the category overall, but we had some good individual performances, and I am very proud of the team,” he explained.

Jodi Munn-Barrow, president of the Jamaica Golf Association, said she was proud of the Jamaicans’ effort despite Puerto Rico’s dominance.

“In the end, we are happy that we were able to host a successful tournament,” she noted.

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 Jamaican team that represented the island at the 67^th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship at the Iberostar Golf Course in Bavaro, Dominican Republic returned to the island Saturday night with runner-up trophies in the ladies category and the country category while the men came third in their category. Dr. Mark Newnham, vice president of the Jamaica Golf Association, welcomed the team on their arrival. 

The ladies were runners-up for the second consecutive year and brought back the runner-up George Teale trophy. The four members of the ladies team were Emily Mayne, Mattea Issa and new comers Kierra Williams and Kingston Burke.

Emily Mayne was the team's top performer. She was tied for second with scores of even par 72, one under par 71 and five over par 77 for a three-day total of four over par 220. 

Kierra Williams ended in fourth place with scores of 72, 71 and 75 for a total score of 221 or just one shot behind second place Mayne. 

Mattea Issa tied for 7^th place with a total score of 227 on the back of 73, 73 and 81 on the final day of the championship. 

The fourth player, Kingston Burke totaled 248 for 15^th place. 

The overall ladies winner was Arabella Lopez of Puerto Rico. She topped the leaderboard on all three days with a combined score eight under 208. 

Perennial winner Puerto Rico won all three trophies on offer – the George Teale trophy, the Arhtur Ziadie or country trophy and the Hoerman Cup for the men. 

Jamaica took home the runner-up country trophy on the back of the whole team's performance. 

The men performed creditably to close the championship in third place after placing eighth in 2023. The male members of the team are Rocco Lopez, Zandre Roye, Oshae Haye, Ryan Lue, Jack Stein and Aman Dhiman. 

Rocco Lopez was the best placed player after closing the championship tied for fifth place after scoring one under par 215. 

Former national champion Haye was further back in 12^th place with a combined total of 222. 

The youngest male player on tour was Ryan Lue and he occupied the 20^th spot with a total score of 228. 

Jack Stein and Aman Dhiman were tied for 25^th place with a three day total of 232 each. 

The sixth and final player, and current national champion Zandre Roye had a rough championship after posting a combined score of 241. 

Mayne, Lopez, Issa, Lue and Dr. Newnham who met the team at the airport were pleased with the team’s performance as well as the individual performances while looking forward to more opportunities for improvement in future championships.

A very youthful Jamaican team has settled and hit the ground running in the Dominican Republic as they fine-tune their strokes ahead of the three-day Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship.

The tournament is scheduled for July 31 to August 2 at the Iberostar Golf Course in Bavaro.

Team manager Sebert Walker said that the team, which travelled to the Spanish-speaking Caribbean island on Sunday, had their first of two practice sessions on Monday and that it went well.

He explained that the second practice on Tuesday, will include two new players—Kingston Burke and Kierra Williams—who travelled from the United States to meet up with the team on location.

The full team of male and female players is composed of Aman Dhiman, Oshae Haye, Rocco Lopez, Ryan Lue, Zandre Roye, Jack Stein, Kingston Burke, Mattea Issa, Emily Mayne, and Kierra Williams.

Meanwhile, Jodi Munn-Barrow, president of the Jamaica Golf Association (JGA), has high expectations for the team.

“The Jamaica Golf Association is very pleased with the team that will be representing Jamaica at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship. It is quite an historic moment as all the team members are under the age of thirty, including some of our juniors who will be representing us at the junior championship the following week in Kingston,” Munn-Barrow said.

“We know that the members will be playing their hardest. They had an extra practice round today (Monday), and they are really eager and are looking forward to the start of the event. We wish them all the best, and we know that they will make Jamaica proud,” she added.

Junior golfers Mattea Issa and Ryan Lue emerged as the top performers at the Jamaica Golf Association’s national senior trials. The event, which concluded on Sunday at the prestigious Half Moon Golf Course in Montego Bay, saw both youngsters outplay their senior counterparts to claim the top spots on the leaderboard.

Issa, a rising star in Jamaican golf, led the women's division from start to finish across the three-day event. She finished with a total score of 10 over par 226, with daily scores of 76, 73, and 77. This secured her a four-stroke victory over Emily Mayne, the 2022 winner and reigning national female golf champion. Mayne concluded the trials with scores of 81, 76, and 73, totaling 14 over par 230.

Issa's triumph was particularly commendable given the challenges she faced, including adverse weather conditions and a personal mishap. Reflecting on her performance, Issa said, “The conditions on the weekend were very tough. There was a lot of wind and rain and there was even a lightning delay on the second day.

“On the third day, while warming up, I had a little incident where I was hit in the face with one of my training aids and had to visit the emergency room before my tee time. Despite these challenges, I’m proud of my performance and happy to win back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024.”

In the men's division, Lue finished with a total score of six over par 222 after rounds of 79, 75, and an exceptional four under par 68 on the final day. This final round score, possibly his best on local soil, secured him a four-stroke victory over Jack Stein, who posted a total of 226 after a one under par 71 in the last round.

Lue expressed his satisfaction with his performance, stating, “I feel like the trials went well. I am very happy with my performance, especially with my final round score. Winning the trials and the opportunity to represent Jamaica this summer in the Dominican Republic is very exciting.”

Several other golfers also made notable contributions, particularly on the final day. Rocco Lopez, who led on day one, finished joint third with Zandre Roye, both scoring 227.

 Roye, the current national golf champion, recovered from a challenging second round to post a one under par 71 on the final day. William Knibbs, the 2023 national champion, and Oshae Haye, the 2022 champion, also showed strong performances, finishing fifth and joint sixth, respectively.

Both Issa and Lue are now set to represent Jamaica at the Caribbean Junior Amateur Golf Championship, scheduled to be held in Jamaica in early July. They will also participate in the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship later in July in the Dominican Republic, where their recent performances will have set high expectations.

An upbeat Jamaica senior team of mostly junior golfers departed the island on Sunday for the 66th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship in the Trinidad & Tobago between July 27 to 29.  

The four female members of the team are Jodi Munn-Barrow, juniors Emily Mayne, Mattea Issa and the only new comer Anoushka Katri, who played in the U15 category this year on the junior team. 

Many-time national representative Jodi Munn-Barrow, president of the Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) and the secretary of the Caribbean Golf Association, expects Jamaica to do well in this year. 

"I expect the team to perform well. They know each other. Most of them played last year together. The camaraderie is high. Everybody really wants go out there and make Jamaica proud and that's all we can ask of them. It's very good to see that six of the ten players are juniors so that's very good for our programme," said Munn-Barrow. 

In terms of her own game she said, "well from my side, I am hoping to bring some experience to help the girls as best as I can, of course to go out there and try my best." 

Mayne who captained the team that carried home George Teale Trophy last year said "I am hoping to play well. I am hoping to bring home a trophy again as last year the women's team won the trophy. So, I am just hoping that we can really build some team spirit and help everyone play well so we can bring home the trophy." 

The male members of the team are Justin Burrowes - captain, Zandre Roye who returns to the team after a number of years; juniors Rocco Lopez, Aman Dhiman and Ryan Lue. The sixth player, William Knibbs is already in Trinidad & Tobago and will participate in the two practice rounds prior to the start of the championship. The male team placed fourth in 2022. 

"I think I am pretty prepared. The last four five months I have not been in Jamaica. I changed my base to the States. I have been playing golf every single day, practicing every single day. I have been really working on my short game which always need a bit of work. I am looking forward to this week. I am always honoured to represent my country," said Burrowes. 

Junior golfer, Lopez, will be following his coach's instruction "to not expect anything, just go out there and try my best and whatever happens, happens but I expect to play well because I have been practicing very hard and I am excited to play." 

Dr. Mark Newnham, the team manager was upbeat about the team's chances to do well this year. 

"This year I think we have the perfect team, perfect of young enthusiastic hungry talent with the right mix of experience. I am not going to call anybody older but let's say wiser, so we have that perfect mix. We are looking forward to building on the success of last year. Our women's division took home the top prize so we are just looking forward this year to representing and doing better than last year." 

He also said that the men are motivated to put on a special performance this year, led by Burrowes who plans to go pro next year and wants to go out with a bang as an amateur. 

The team received sponsorship support from the Jamaica Olympic Association.

Sixteen-year old junior golfers Ryan Lue and Mattea Issa produced dominant performances to win the male and female sections of the Jamaica Golf Association's National Senior Trials at the Half Moon Golf Course in St. Jameson on the weekend.

Lue topped the leaderboard each day with scores of 70, 72 and 68, respectively, for a combined score of 210 to win by eight strokes.

"I had a pretty good weekend. It was really fun out there. Played well. Game really connected. Feel really happy about my outcome,” said Lue who had a dream start to his final round on Sunday with an eagle before following up with birdies on holes number two, six and eight for five under par 31 on the front nine.

“It was tough for the three days but I felt calm on the course and it paid off. It showed off in my scores and I am happy to be back competing in Jamaica again and it was really fun and I am happy to come out on top."

Recently crowned national champion, William Knibbs, was the runner up with score of 76, 72 and 70 while Zandre Roye (73, 75, 73) finished third. Rocco Lopez 226 (77, 76, 73) took fourth place. Owen Samuda (85, 71, 78) and Aman Dhiman (81, 75, 78) tied for fifth place.

Issa shot an 82 on Sunday to win her first senior event. Jodi Munn-Barrow shot an 81 on Sunday but it was not enough to overcome Issa, who shot 80 on Saturday to Munn-Barrow’s 84. Their final day score was a repeat of the first day score, with Issa scoring 82 to Munn-Barrow's 81 for a combined total of 244 and 246, respectively.

“I am happy to come away with the win this weekend. The conditions were not ideal. It was raining for the majority of the first two days. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get a practice round in as it was raining" said Issa.

"It was fun getting to play with aunty Jodi Munn-Barrow, the president of the Jamaica Golf Association as I am always learning from her.

“I am so proud of all the other juniors who participated in the senior national trials and did so well. Overall, it was a fun tournament and I am very excited to represent Jamaica for the junior team in Cayman and hopefully for the senior team in Tobago."

The other female in the field was Anoushka Khatri who posted a score of 283 (93, 96, 94) for third place.

Two of Jamaica's promising junior golfers are in Scotland for the three-day R&A Junior Open which tees off on Monday at the Monifieth Golf Links. Sixty-five countries including Jamaica were invited to field two representatives - a girl and one boy - at the tournament which is held every two years.

Mattea Issa and Ryan Lue, both 15, were invited to play in the tournament after posting the lowest scores at Jamaica's national junior trials held in April at the Caymanas Golf Course.  The invitees had to be in the 12-16 age group.

The pair will be in a field of 110 golfers who are expected to attend Sunday's opening ceremony after the practice round earlier in the day.

The top 80 golfers who make the cut after round two on Tuesday will move on to the final round on Wednesday.

Alison Reid, Jamaica’s team manager to the recently held 34th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship and convener for junior golf in Jamaica, has accompanied Issa and Lue to Scotland.  She expects that the golfers will give a good account of themselves.

Justin Burrowes, Sebert Walker Jr., Ryan Lue and William Knibbs form part of a 12-member Jamaica team named for the 65th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships in the Turks & Caicos Islands from August 1 to 6.

Rocco Lopez and Owen Samuda have also been named to the team for which Aman Dhiman is the reserve player. Lue, at 15 years, is making his debut as the youngest male player while Samuda is 52.

Meanwhile, Emily Mayne, Mattea Issa, Cameron March and Winni Lau comprise the female team with Eryn Blakely named as the reserve player.  Issa at 15 years is the youngest female player on the team but has experience under her belt as this is her second time on the senior team.

The team was named after a rigorous four-day national senior trials played at the Cinnamon Hill Golf Course on the first two days and Half Moon Golf Course on the final two days.  Sebert Walker Jr. topped the leaderboard for the first three days and was ahead by 11 shots at the end of day two but faltered badly and gave up the advantage to Justin Burrowes who won by a stroke on the final play.

Emily Mayne shared the lead between herself and Jodi Munn-Barrow over the four days but ended up winning by eight strokes and ending the trials on 309.

Former player Dr. Mark Newnham will serve as team manager.

The ladies will also be trying to take their first hold of the George Teale Trophy.  Last year, while not fielding a full-strength team, ended in fourth place.

Sebert Walker Jr. dropped six shots by the end of the third day of the Jamaica Golf Association's National Senior Trials at the Half Moon Golf Course in St. James but still enjoys a sizeable buffer over the rest of the field.