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Haye, Roye defend Ocho Rios Charity Golf title

Published:Monday | January 15, 2024 | 12:08 AMAinsley Walters/Gleaner Writer
From left, winners Oshane Haye and Zandre Roye are joined by Wayne Williams, chief executive officer, Couples Resorts, after scoring 59, 12 under par, to defend their Ocho Rio’s Charity Golf Tournament title at the 22nd staging held at the Sandals Golf a
Shawntel Hill photo
From left, winners Oshane Haye and Zandre Roye are joined by Wayne Williams, chief executive officer, Couples Resorts, after scoring 59, 12 under par, to defend their Ocho Rio’s Charity Golf Tournament title at the 22nd staging held at the Sandals Golf and Country Club in Upton, St Mary.

HOME-course heroes Oshane Haye and Zandre Roye, yesterday warmed up for the January 18-21 Latin America Amateur Championship at Santa Maria Golf Club in Panama by defending their Ocho Rios Charity Golf Tournament title, emerging gross winners on 59, 12 under-par, at the Sandals Golf and Country Club in Upton, St Mary.

Basking in a second consecutive victory, lowering their score from 63 in the two-man scramble, Haye and Roye will take up their winning prize of a two-night stay at either Couples Tower Isle or Sans Souci on return from Panama, for which they depart today.

Haye and Roye, who honed their skills through the Sandals Foundation Junior Golfers programme, which mentors youth in and around the St Ann-St Mary resort area, said they have always felt honoured to participate in the tournament that primarily benefits the neighbouring Three Hills Primary School.

Mark Newnham and Jodi-Munn Barrow were gross-score runners-up on 63 with a better back-nine. Doc Gels and Fabian Gordon carded 62 as net-score winners, one shot ahead of Clifton Campbell and Tenny Davis.

Digicel Business not only returned as many-time sponsor of the event but doubled its commitment from $250,000 to $500,000 for which Three Hills Primary’s principal, Slean Harris, while thanking all sponsors of the tournament, colourfully chronicled their assistance in moving the institution from “pit toilets to water closets and red floors to tiles”.

Noting the $2.5 million raised at the 22nd annual tournament, Slean reminded the players and sponsors how their philanthropy, through organiser Couples Resorts, has impacted Three Hills Primary for more than 15 years, joined by other sponsors such as National Commercial Bank, Fraser Fontaine & Kong, Guardian Group, Iron Rock Insurance and the Insurance Company of the West Indies, British Caribbean Insurance Company, Advantage General and VIP Attractions.

Proceeds from last year’s tournament were used to tile a multi-purpose classroom, which was built from $2.3 million raised in 2022. Couples had used proceeds from the 2019 tournament to convert a container at the school into a state-of-the-art computer lab with 10 new computers, at an approximate cost of $3.7 million.

Larry Lodenquai won Closest to the Pin on hole 13. Closest to the Pin on hole 16 was won by Jenny Schneider. George Watt won Closest to the Pin, hole two, whereas John Odde and Dale Wanliss took honours on holes seven and 14, respectively.