Emily Mayne ended the Jamaica Golf Association’s three-day junior trials on Sunday with the best results of all the golfers on the course, and was the only one to post scores in the seventies on all three days. Her overall score was 15 over par 231 on the back of 77, 76 and 78. Her four over par 76 on the second day was the best single round score in the trials.
“This trials means a lot as its my last junior trials since this is my last year in the junior category. I have been preparing for this tournament as well, as this is my first tournament of the year so I was expecting myself to play well however being a little rusty under tournament conditions, I do think that I tried my best” said Mayne.
She looks forward to defending the Girls 18 & Under title that she won jointly in 2022. “This year being my last year, it would be amazing to defend my title however I am trying not to put too much expectations on myself because there are also other girls in that category.”
The Girls 18 & Under category includes Mattea Issa who will be representing Jamaica in that age group for the first time but is on her sixth attempt to represent at the junior level. Her best placement to date was second place last year in the 15 & U category. Her three-day total for this year’s trials was 241 after scoring 77, 82 and another 82.
Issa said that the playing conditions were “very windy and the grounds very tough and the balls bouncing left and right and you don’t know where its gonna go sometimes, so its been tough. The conditions were worst today (Sunday), it was a lot more windy than the other two days (Friday and Saturday).”
She looks forward to the championship and “hope to do well. I have lots of friends in this category. I have been making great progress over the past few years so hopefully I will do well.”
The two golfers in the Boys 15 and Under age group were Aaron Ghosh and Davin Hogan who posted 255 (83, 88, 84) and 286 (98, 92 96) over the three days respectively.
The Girls 15 and Under age group included defending champion Samantha Azan with scores of 94, 91 and another 91 for 276 overall to win her category by one shot ahead of Anoushka Khatri 277 (89, 96, 92).
Kemari Morris topped the Boys 13 and Under category by six shots after scoring 269. Shasha Redlefsen was second on 275 while Cameron Coe was ten strokes back on 285.
The sole representative in the Girls 13 and Under category was Alessandra Coe whose combined total of 284 included scores of 91, 98 and 95.
Alison Reid, convener for junior golf said that the trials were tough based on the prevailing conditions – dry and unpredictable wind throughout the three days. She also said “we always go with a team that has the ability to win. Sometimes you need a bit of luck but we are going with a team that has the capability of winning, and it would be great for Rocco and Emily to win considering its their last year and these guys have been playing on the team since they were like eleven, so it would be great for them to go out with a win.”
The selection committee will meet soon to select the team to represent Jamaica in the Caribbean Junior Amateur Golf Championship to be held in the Cayman Islands between July 3-8
