Sun | Nov 3, 2024

JGA sees bright future for local golf

Published:Tuesday | August 6, 2024 | 12:12 AMLennox Aldred/Gleaner Writer
Jamaica team to the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship (from left) Aman Dhiman, Emily Mayne, Ryan Lue, Rocco Lopez, Mattea Issa, O’Shae Haye, Jack Stein and Zandre Roye.
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Jamaica team to the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship (from left) Aman Dhiman, Emily Mayne, Ryan Lue, Rocco Lopez, Mattea Issa, O’Shae Haye, Jack Stein and Zandre Roye.

Despite not coming away with any of the team titles, Jamaica’s youthful golf team to the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship in the Dominican Republic received rave reviews from the hierarchy of the Jamaica Golf Association (JGA).

Jamaica secured the runners-up position in the Arthur Ziadie Trophy, finishing just behind perennial winners Puerto Rico.

In the ladies’ competition, Jamaica claimed the runners-up spot in the George Teale Trophy, with Puerto Rico taking the top prize and The Bahamas placing third.

Jamaica’s male golfers made significant progress, improving on last year’s performance to achieve third place in the Hoerman Cup, with Puerto Rico winning and the Dominican Republic finishing second.

Vice-President of the JGA, Dr Mark Newnham, said that kind of performance augurs well for the future of the nation’s golf.

“It’s a big thing for us with this kind of achievement from one of our youngest teams ever, and we feel really good about it. Nobody on the team is over 30, and that sets us up well for the future,” said Newnham.

The females proved to be worthy contenders, with Emily Mayne tied for second in the ladies’ division, with 17-year-old Kierra Williams finishing in fourth position in her debut performance for the nation.

The other female newcomer is 14-year-old Kingston Burke, who will be lining up for Jamaica’s team for the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf championship (CAJGC), which is set to tee off tomorrow at the Caymanas Golf Course.

For Mayne, the female team bonded together well and delivered against some of their more senior competitors.

“I am really proud of the girls’ team as Mattea Issa and myself did our best to make the other girls feel welcome and let them know they have a spot on the team, and everything they did was for the team,” Mayne said.

On the men’s side, another youngster, Ryan Lue, who finished 20th in the Dominican Republic, will be teeing off in the under-18 category at the CAJGC this week. The youngster said that he didn’t play his best but that the lessons learnt were invaluable.

“The senior championships opened up my eyes, and it taught me that you have to keep grinding and have that grit and determination not to give up,” Lue said.