Five of Jamaica’s eight-member team departed the island on Saturday for the 64th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships which will be played at the Country Club at Grand Reserve, Rio Grande in Puerto Rico from August 24 to 26.

Justin Burrowes and William Knibbs both began the final day of the Jamaica Golf Association's (JGA) National Senior Trials at Caymanas Golf Club on Sunday on even par 216 but it was Burrowes, who took home the trophy at the end.

The leaderboard showed four birdies and a bogey on the front-nine for three under par 33. On the back-nine, he shot a birdie, two bogeys and one double bogey for a three-over-par 39, for an even-par 72.

His combined score of even-par 288 was three strokes ahead of runner-up Knibbs.

“Today (Sunday) was pretty good. I shot even par. I was three-under on the front-nine and three over on the back-nine.  I would say that I felt like I had my best game today.  I felt like I struck it the best,” he said.

“I felt like I was swinging the best today out of all the four days.  I didn't quite score like I wanted to.  I didn't quite finish like I wanted to but a win is a win and I am very grateful for it and I am thankful to my entire team around me for all the support.  It's just always an amazing feeling when you can execute and come out on top and I am just very grateful for that."

Knibbs was on target up to hole number 15 but had a double bogey on 16 and a bogey on 18 for a three-over par 75 for a total score of 291.

"My ball-striking wasn't where I wanted it to be over the course of this weekend so the last two rounds (I) missed a lot of greens with irons and short clubs which is usually the strength of my game but I just made a bad swing on 16, lost a ball, made double - just one of those things but I take a lot of positives from the past week because my ultimate goal was to break par for the four rounds and I came really close to it so I know that if I tighten up on a few things, then I should be good for the Caribbean Championships," he said.

Dr Mark Newnham with a score of 301 (78, 74, 75, 74) was third, while junior golfer, 16-year-old Rocco Lopez, who improved his position after every round, ended in fourth after the final round of 76 for an overall score of 304.

Shamar Wilson was one stroke back on 305 (77,80, 74, 74) in fifth.

Junior golfer, Emily Mayne copped the Ladies category, which she led from round one.

She posted her best round of five over par 77 in the final round for a total score of 316 (80, 79, 80, 77) to win by 32 strokes ahead of Mattea Issa who ended on 358. Many-time national champion Jodi Munn-Barrow, who was in second place, did not compete on the final day.

“Today (Sunday) was a good day.  I had a very good start which was different from the first two days which I had a bad start.  I kept it consistent,” she said.

“Obviously, I had two bad holes, which is what resulted in me shooting five over. However, the pin positions on a lot of the greens were very difficult and you had to know your way on the greens which I did not succeed in on the holes which I finished badly on, however, I am proud of myself for my finish today."

 The golfers were competing for places on team Jamaican for the Hoerman Cup for men and the George Teale Trophy for women in the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship which is tentatively set for Puerto Rico August 8-13.

The top three golfers in the various categories in the two-day (Saturday/Sunday) Caymanas Golf Classic which ran concurrently with the national trails were:

Men & Men Senior 0-6:  Justin Burrowes - 140, William Knibbs - 145 and Dr Mark Newnham - 149.

Men & Men Senior 7-12:  Dave Cameron - 171, Gregory Mayne - 172 and Ryan Lue - 173.

Men & Men Senior 13-24: Philip Gooden - 165, Delroy Anderson - 191 and Richard Wayner - 200.

Men Super Senior 0-12:  Robert Chin - 156, Mike Boyd - 157 and Wayne Chai Chong - 160.

Men Super Senior 13.24:  George Wright 182, Fred Sutherland - 191 and Howard McKenzie - 201

Ladies 0-12:  Emily Mayne -157, Michele McCreath 173 and Winni Lau 174.

Junior Boys 11-13:  Aarron Ghosh - 165, Ramsay Wayner 177 and Kemari Morris 193.

Junior Girls 11-13:  Khatri Anoushka 188.

William Knibbs and Emily Mayne are the early leaders after Thursday’s opening day of the Jamaica Golf Association's (JGA) National Senior Trials at the Cinnamon Hill Golf Course in St. James and the Caymanas Golf Club in St. Catherine.

Justin Burrowes won the Alliance National Amateur Golf Championship at the Caymanas Golf Club by a massive 20 strokes to claim his second title in three years.

 Burrowes led on all four days of the championship but Sunday's round was his most impressive.

He shot seven birdies and just one bogey in his final round 66 for a four-day today of 278.

He had birdies on holes 2 and 6 and a bogey on five for a one-under-par 35 on the front nine but saved his best for last with birdies on 10, 12, 13,14 and 17 on the back nine for five-under-par 31 to close the round.

Overall, his scores on each of the four days were 73, 69, 70 and 66 to be 10 under for the tournament.

"Today (Sunday) was a great day.  I felt like I was able to put everything together for once in the past four days.  I drove it well, hit it well, putt it well and made a lot of crucial putts especially coming down the stretch,” he said.

“That was the only real difference between today and the other days.  I just want to thank my coach, parents and all my supporters because without them this would not be possible."

By contrast, William Knibbs, the 2020 national champion, had a rough championship, posting scores of 74, 79, 70 and 75 for a combined total of 10 over par 298.  He was hurt, particularly, by his second-day performance on hole number 10 at he which required six extra shots on a par-four hole.

“Where the performance this week in the tournament is concerned, whilst there were lots of good moments in the tournament, I made a lot of mistakes that had I been at my best I know I would have avoided them,” he said.

“Hats off to Justin, he played really, really well.  I just would have liked to have been closer to him coming into the last day but I do take some pride in knowing that I finished runner-up in this event four of the last five years so there are always positives and negatives."

Zandre Roye scored 70 on the final day for a total score of 303 to claim third.  He had scores of 76, 82, and 75 for the first three days.

Mention must be made of 15-year old Aman Dhiman, who posted the second-lowest score of the championship, a four-under-par 68 on the third day as well as the best score for that particular day.  He sent down five birdies on holes 1, 2, 4, 7 and 16 and only one bogey on hole number 10.

The top two in the Men Senior 7-12 category were Thajae Richards who had a total of 337 and Richard White, 370.

The Men Senior 0-12 category, which was played over three days, was shared by former Cricket West Indies president Dave Cameron (245) and Tony Allison 83 (245) while Vikram Dhuman 78 (245) was third.

The Men Super Senior 0-12 category, also played over three days, was topped by Mike Boyd (235), while George Hugh (240) former JGA president Wayne Chai Chong (240) were tied for second.

 The Men Super Senior 13 and over had one participant, Desmond Brown, who had a three-day total of 282.

Justin Burrowes extended his lead to 11 strokes on day three of the Alliance National Amateur Golf Championship on Saturday at the Caymanas Golf Club. He shot two under par 70 for a three-day total of 212 (73, 69, 70) and is poised to secure victory when play resumes at 7:30 today.

“Today (Saturday) was another pretty good day. (I) gave myself a lot of opportunities, which is really what I set out to do.  It didn't convert as much as I would have liked but still, all in all, I would say a lot more positives than negatives today,” said Burrowes, who started the day with a birdie and followed up with three more on holes 11, 12 and 15 while posting two bogeys on holes 14 and 18.

“In a good place to build on.  The course was definitely more inviting today with the softer conditions - no wind and no rain.  It was definitely more inviting. I played solid but I didn't hold enough putts today to go really deep so hopefully, I can build on today and do that tomorrow (Sunday)."

Meanwhile, defending champion William Knibbs posted his first under-par score of 70 but is still 11 strokes off the lead.  He has a combined score of 223 after posting 74 and 79 on days one and two, respectively.

 He expressed satisfaction with the round especially after day two, saying "After yesterday (Friday), I would say that it could have only gotten better today (Saturday) and obviously it was better. Two under but as with most of what I have done this week there were always shots that I felt that I could have done better with or putts that I could have made but I am just happy to have bounced back today."

 His scorecard showed one eagle, three birdies and three bogeys.

Dr Mark Newnham, who was in second place on day two, dropped to third after scoring six over par 78 for a three-day total of 228.

Mention must be made of 15-year old Aman Dhiman, who posted the lowest score of the championship so far, a four-under-par 68.  He sunk five birdies on holes 1, 2, 4, 7 and 16 before bogeying the 10^th hole.

The perennial ladies’ national champion Jodi Munn-Barrow, who led from day one is again the national champion.  The female championships ran over three days and she posted scores of 72, 77 and 74 for a total of 223 to be leagues ahead of second-place Samantha Azan who shot 82 on the final day for a total score of 251.  Third place went to Winni Lau.  She shot 91 for an overall score of 271.

 "Happy with my overall performance today (Saturday). (I) was able to focus and just play the holes as they came, played a shot at a time and happy to finish with two over,” she said.

“Seven over for the three days so I am pleased with the overall performance and happy once again I was able to become the national amateur champion."

The Ladies 13 - 24 category went to Valerie Grant 102 (308) followed by Suzan White 108 (324).

The Men 7-12 category had two golfers with scores of 86 for Thajae Richards for a total of 252 and who still leads Richard White, who shot 89 and now totals 279.

There is a new leader in the Men Senior 0-12 category with former Cricket West Indies president Dave Cameron 81 (245), ahead of Tony Allison 83 (245) in second and Vikram Dhuman 78 (245) in third.

The Men Super Senior 0-12 also has a new leader in Mike Boyd 74 (235), followed by George Hugh with an 82 (240) and the day-one leader, former JGA president Wayne Chai Chong shot 81 (240).

The final male category - Men Super Senior 13 and over, with one occupant - Desmond Brown scored 93 for a three-day total of 282.

The juniors who competed over two days which ended on Saturday saw Sebastian Azan copping the Boys 14-15 category with scores of 78 and 81 for a combined score of 159.  Ryan Lue took second spot after posting 82 and 79 (161) while Trey Williams was third 87, 79, (161).

Michael Lowe topped the Boys 16-17 category.  He had scores of 85 and 87 (172).  Zaniel Knight was second with scores of 91 and 89 (180) while Justin Wainwright 116 and 124 (240) was third.

Justin Burrowes shot a three-under-par score of 69 Friday to extend his lead to eight strokes on day two of the Alliance National Amateur Golf Championship at the Caymanas Golf Club.

Following his opening-round score of 73 on Thursday, Burrowes, the only golfer to post an under-par score so far in the championship, has a two-day score of 142.

Dr Mark Newnham is currently in second place following his second-round score of 74, for a combined score of 150. Newnham shot a 76 in the first round that had left him fourth on the leaderboard.

Meanwhile, defending champion William Knibbs is a further three strokes back after a particularly rough round.  He shot 79 to go along with his 74 on day one for a two-day total of 153, 11 strokes off the leader.

Burrowes believes consistency was key to his play on Friday.

“Today (Friday) was, I would say kind of more of the same as yesterday (Thursday).  I just felt like I made more putts today, definitely driving it well, hitting it well, doing all the parts of the game pretty well right now,” said Burrowes, who made three birdies on the front nine as well as two more on the back that were cancelled by two bogeys.

 “It was just about execution and today I went out and executed pretty well.  Still, something to build on, I still missed a few putts I thought I should have made but all in all the conditions today were pretty tough with the rain and the wind.  I felt like I managed it pretty well but still I know I left a couple out there and tomorrow (Saturday) that's what I am going go after."

Among the ladies, day one leader Jodi Munn-Barrow held her lead after shooting five over par 77 on day two.  Her round included three bogeys and a double bogey for a combined total of 149 (72 and 77). "Today was also another difficult day.  It started out being very hot and extremely windy and then the rains came.  We had to stop and then go back on the course so it was very difficult to maintain concentration,” she said.

“(The) course played tough again but overall pleased with my game. I felt like I kept it together well for the 18 holes even with the distractions that were there, so I am hoping I can do the same tomorrow and put up another good score."

Second place Samantha Azan shot 16 over for an 88 to close day two on 169.  She is followed by Winni Lau, who shot 90 on both days for a total score of 180.

Scores for the Ladies 13 - 24 category are Valerie Grant 105 (206) and Suzan White 110 (216).

The Men 7-12 category had two golfers with scores of 78 for Thajae Richards for a total of 166 who still leads Richard White, who shot 93 and now totals 190.

There is a new leader in the Men Senior 0-12 category with Tony Allison 80 (162) ahead of former Cricket West Indies president Dave Cameron 77 (164) in second and Vikram Dhuman 90 (170) copping the third spot.

The Men Super Senior 0-12 also has a new leader in George Hugh with a 76 (158).  The day one leader, former JGA president Wayne Chai Chong shot 80 (159), while Robert Chin 79 (160) is in third.

 The final male category - Men Super Senior 13 and over, with one occupant - Desmond Brown scored 92 for a two-day total of 189.

The golfers will tee off at 7:30 am on Saturday.