Former National golf champion turns attention to Jamaica Open
Published:Friday | August 12, 2022 | 12:07 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
FORMER national golf champion, William Knibbs, says he has now set his sights on the Jamaica Open after helping the national team finish fourth at the recently concluded Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“The next tournament for me will be the Jamaica Open which will be in November. Preparations have started already, I re-started yesterday after putting the gloves down for a few days following the championships. But I think the major thing for me right now is just to stay on top of my technique between now and the championship,” said Knibbs.
Knibbs, who won the national title back in 2020, said the decision to start preparations so soon was to avoid the possibility of scrambling to regain his stroke ahead of the major tournament.
“By continuously monitoring the things I’m doing in practice it limits the chance of things going off course between now and the tournament, so that way I wouldn’t have to be scrambling for form or anything. Technique wise, I’m in a good spot, these are the times when you want to capitalise on the things that you’re doing well,” added Knibbs.
Many local golfers face challenges because of the lack of a loaded golf season but Knibbs who finished second in the Jamaica Open back in 2021, says he often competes with peers during his free time to keep that competitive edge.
“What I do is compete with friends, so on occasions I would play against them on the weekends. I find that even if it’s just playing for a 100 dollars or something, the fact that you’re playing for something, it changes your mindset rather than going out with nothing on the line,” said Knibbs.
With the major focus now on the Jamaica Open, Knibbs also added that remaining competitive during the other minor tournaments could also add to the preparation phase.
“Prior to the Jamaica Open, you’ll have other tournaments and those will provide opportunities to stay sharp as well, any competition really,” Knibbs added.