Golf in 2020
Knibbs looking to build on 2020 successes
Published:Wednesday | January 6, 2021 | 12:12 AMLennox Aldred/Gleaner Writer
The sport of golf was one of the very few activities that was able to manoeuvre through the global pandemic in 2020.
Locally, the Jamaica Golf Association was able to stage several key tournaments despite the coronavirus, albeit under strict health protocols.
For one local golfer, it was not all doom and gloom in 2020, as William Knibbs established himself as the best in the sport, bar none.
Knibbs was in scintillating form in 2020, winning five of the six tournaments held, including the coveted amateur title at the recent Jamaica Open, and the National Amateur Championships, which was held in July of last year.
The former Elon University player has seen marked improvements since working with coach Johnny Newnham, himself an accomplished national golfer a few years ago.
“My coach helps me a lot. He helps me figure out the areas that I’m performing well in and what to work on to maintain that performance level; and he also helps me to devise plans to tackle the areas that give me a bit more trouble. I’m able to analyse situations much more objectively and as a result, play higher percentage shots,” said Knibbs.
Such was his improvement in the last 12 months, Knibbs finished 27th at last year’s Jamaica Open and finally defeated his close rival Justin Burrowes, after finishing runner- up on three occasions at the National Amateur Championships.
For Knibbs, 2020 had been good to him on the course, but he believes there is still a lot more to be done if he is to take his game to the next level.
“Without a doubt, it was my most successful season in terms of playing and accolades to date. I entered six tournaments and won five of them, and two of them that I really wanted to win was the National Championship and the Jamaica Open,” added Knibbs.
For Knibbs, his mental toughness has brought him through to this point; however, he wants to add a bit more steel to his game to prepare for international competition when normality is returned to the sport.
“I am pleased with where I am right now with my game. But I also see where there can be room for improvements, and that is what I will be focusing on moving into this year,” he added.