Team 3 tops rivals in Travel Advisors Golf

TEAM 3’s Christopher Gregoris, Leo Tam, Tom Liu, and Wendy Hsu on Saturday nailed a final-round 62, after Friday’s 65, to easily win the 2023 Baxter Media Canadian Travel Advisors Golf Tournament, scoring 127 over 36 holes.

Gregoris, Tam, Liu, and Hsu lowered their first-round 65 by three strokes, finishing the second round nine under-par, unbothered by runners-up Team 2 – Gord and Lalita Ramkissoon, plus Leonard and Lalita Sanicharan - who carded 66 and 67 respectively, ending on 133.

Starting the morning tied for second on 65 with Team 5’s David Harris, Doug Rollheiser, Jacques Gilbert, and Jason Jenkins, Team 3 made the most of Team 1’s annulment, which ruled out the first-day leaders from further competing.

Team 1, comprising David McClung, Jackie and Addie Smith, plus Sandals’ Jake Coldiron, national manager, golf sales, had ended the first day on eight under-par, 63, a two-stroke lead ahead of Teams 3 and 5.

Gregoris, Tam, Liu, and Hsu’s six-stroke win guaranteed the quartet a place in next year’s World Travel Advisors Golf Tournament set for Emerald Bay, Bahamas. This year’s tournament, held mid-October, was won by Uruguay’s Jorge Bardot, Jose Cabrera, Leonardo Curutchague, and Andres Ellisalde, who had triumphed at the ninth annual Sandals Latin American Travel Advisors Golf Tournament in August. One of three travel-advisers’ tournaments staged annually by the resort to promote the island as a golfing destination, while giving the resort chain’s sales reps personal experiences of its properties and Jamaica’s varied attractions.

Coldiron said Saturday’s cloudy conditions actually ensured cool weather for the final round after early morning rain had delayed Friday’s first-day play.

“It was probably the best Baxter Canadian tournament we have had in terms of the weather, which was really cool all day. On Friday, we had some rains, but we were still able to start early enough to finish the round,” Coldiron noted.

The longest-running of the three Sandals travel advisers tournaments, preceding the United States and Latin American contests, the Baxter Media Canadian Travel Advisors match hosted 16 teams this year, fielding 61 players.

Curtis Dewar and Norah Hogan won the male and female Closest to the Pin, respectively, whereas Colin Harris and Tobey Leney triumphed in the Longest Drive contests for male and female, respectively.

The Sandals Foundation earned US$1,528.52 from the Longest Drive contest in which players pay participants in Sandals’ Junior Golf Programme to drive holes nine and 18 for males and females, respectively.

The Junior Golf Programme mentors children from in and around the Upton and Exchange communities of St Mary, providing golf lessons and life skills.