With the lush greens of the picturesque Sandals Golf and Country Club in Upton at their disposal, a number of young talents took centre stage as they paraded their skills in the inaugural drive, chip and putt tournament.

Hosted by the Sandals Foundation, through their Care for Kids Junior Golf Programme, the tournament, not only treated the aspiring stars to a day of excitement, but also served as a qualifier for the prestigious Sandals Golf and Jerk Festival, scheduled for June.

Among the 13 competitors, who graced the course on Saturday was 12-year-old Cavani James, whose passion for the sport and unwavering determination shone brightly as he executed well in all three strokes to emerge victorious. James tallied a score of 75 to finish ahead of Jerone Thomas (66) and Tyreek Smith (58).

By virtue of their performances, all three junior golfers secured spots in the Sandals Golf and Jerk Festival – an exciting sports and food event –where they will be paired with their senior counterparts.

For James, golf is more than just a game, it is a lifelong dream in the making. From the moment he first picked up a club two years ago while attending Exchange Primary, James knew that he had found his calling.

His appetite for the sport intensified even more when he started attending weekend sessions under the guidance of Sandals golf pro Bill Williams, who has nurtured homegrown talents such Romaine Williams and others.

With each swing and each putt, James, fuelled by a burning desire to excel on the golf course, honed his skills, and the Ocho Rios High student recently showcased that skill with a level of maturity beyond his years.

Throughout the tournament, James faced stiff competition from older players and fellow aspiring young golfers alike. But with nerves of steel and a steady hand, he navigated the challenges with precision and poise.

"I feel very good to have won the tournament, especially because I was late in getting to the course and I thought that I wasn't going to make it, but God had other plans for me. So, I am really happy, the tournament itself was also a challenge, anybody who knows golf knows it can be frustrating when the strokes don’t come off how you want them to, but it was good,” James said.

“My expectation is very high for the Sandals Golf and Jerk Festival, I know it is going to be good for me because when I start playing in more tournaments, the better I will get because my ambitions are to go as far as possible in the sport. So, I am going to keep working on what I have to with Mr. Bill [Williams] because I would like to go far in this sport, not only for me, but also to make my mother proud,” he added.

Patrice Gilpin, Sandals Foundation’s public relations manager pointed out that the tournament was another testament of the foundation’s years of hard work and dedication. But more than that, she said it also gave a glimpse into a bright future filled with endless possibilities as the sky is the limit for the young golfing prodigies.

Beyond golf, Gilpin explained that the Care for Kids Programme, which engages kids between the ages of seven and 18 years old, through weekly mentorship training programme, also imparts life skills that prepares them to navigate whatever challenges lay ahead.

“Even if they're not sure about golf, they learn something different, something new. Sports is an amazing avenue that teaches young people personal responsibility, discipline, teamwork, how to be resilient, and how to continue to work at themselves. So, they're learning very targeted soft skills through this programme that also provides very keen mentors for them throughout these very delicate stages of their development,” Gilpin reasoned.

She continued: “So our care for kids go program has been doing an amazing job over the years. We've had kids graduate from the programme and represent Jamaica on the international level. We have two of the current students right now chosen for the Caribbean Amateur golf tournament that's coming up in July.

“So, it's been a very successful programme for us, and it was beautiful just to see the young boys and girls put their heart and souls into showcasing their skills and doing their best in order to qualify to be part of the huge, the bigger tournament that's coming up in June.”

Meanwhile, Jonathan Newnham, director of golf at the Sandals Golf and Country Club, echoed similar sentiments.

“It was great to see the progress of the juniors. They were a little nervous, as expected, but they were able to gather themselves and really perform. The top three started off very rough, but produced a great comeback at the end, so I made sure to stress that as a great lesson that goes beyond the sport of golf, but for life as well. Even if you're down early, don't give. I'm really looking forward to them. getting that opportunity to test themselves against the experienced players in June, and it will only help them going forward,” Newnham noted.

As Sandals Resorts moves to deepen and strengthen ties with its international partners, it was the United Sates Travel Advisors turn to have their fun in the sun at the 19th annual golf tournament at the Sandals Golf and Country Club in St Ann.

After two days of enticing competition, which allows Travel Advisors to experience and, later sell Jamaica as the destination of choice for sports and tourism, it was Team 10 that finished tops in the four-man scramble format, played over 18 holes.

Pete Drab, Damon Spady, Megan Sams and Scott Austin made up the winning team that scored 58 across both days to end with a total of 116.

Team 10 won ahead of Teams six and eight, as they ended with a similar score of 123, after both had similar scores of 62 on Thursday’s first day and 61 on Friday’s final day.

Adam Anderson, David Anderson, David Schutz and Jeremy Lee made up Team six, while Team eight comprised of Craig and Angela Mansperger, Ro Gallo and Mike Tipple.

Aside from the main event, the serious side of the golf tournament, saw Sandals Foundation raising US$1,210 (approximately $187,000 Jamaican dollars) for its outreach programmes to assist those in need.

Mike Zuch and Linda Hyde bettered rivals in the men’s and women’s Closet to the Pin event, while Harold Kelly and Julie Gildner, finished tops in their respective categories of the Longest Drive competition.