Jamaica began its defence of the Caribbean Golf Association’s (CGA) Four-Ball Championship which teed-off on Tuesday on a positive note, at the top of the leaderboard in three of the five team categories.
The three-day, five-country championship is being played in Florida at the Golden Palm Golf Course. Jamaica is gunning for its third consecutive win after copping the country trophy, the Ambrose Gouthro Cup in 2019 and 2021. There was no championship in 2020 due to the Novel Coronova Virus Pandemic.
The team of Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) president Jodi Munn-Barrow and Lisa Gardner who are competing to defend the Maria Nunes Trophy for ladies thirty-five and over scored seven over par 78 on the first day to be in the top spot in the category. They are three shots ahead of the Puerto Rican team of Mara Pagan and Rebekah Alford who shot 10 over par 81.
The other ladies team of Maggie Lyn and Michelle McCreath have it all to play for as the only team vying for the Desire Henry Trophy. They posted 13 over pay 84 in the first round. Their trophy is for ladies fifty and over.
On the men side, the team of Philip Prendergast and Owen Samuda lead their group in defence of the Ramon Baez Romano Trophy (for men 35 and over). They carded the best score among the Jamaican team, of two over par 73. They were followed by Lynford Miller and Ashley Glinton of the Bahamas who posted four over par 75 for their first round.
The Higgs & Higgs Cup for men 60 and over saw Joe Delfillipo and Roger Hanson of the Cayman Islands, and Fernando Diaz and Arturo Morales of Puerto Rico tied up at the top of the leaderboard in a very competitive group. Former JGA president Wayne Chai Chong and partner Rory Jardine are tied for second along with three other teams after posting four over par 75 for the round.
Team Robert Chin and Dorrel Allen were one stroke back on five over par 75 in seventh place. The third local team in the category, of Peter Chin and George Hugh scored nine over par 80 for their ninth place.
The fifth trophy category, the Francis Steel Perkins Trophy boasts three Jamaica teams with two of them in joint fifth place. Dr. Mark Newnhan and Michael Gliechman, and Metry Seaga and Dave Cameron both posted six over par 77 at the end round one.
The other team of William ‘Tommy’ Lee and Carlyle Hudson were just one stroke back in seventh place after scoring seven over par 78.
The category leader hails from the Bahamas and is represented by Peter McIntosh and Horace Miller. They posted one over par 72 which is the best score of all the golfers on the course.
Jamaica’s coach Jonathan Newnham commented at the end of the round, “(the) course was long especially for the ladies. Overall we had a few tough holes that we compounded with errors but (we are) proud of the fight throughout. (We) kept ourselves in it with each category with two days to go.”
