The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

TEAM Bahamas fell short of their goal of getting into the top three with a fourth-place finish at the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships in Humacao, Puerto Rico.

The championship was completed yesterday with the Bahamas earning a total of 37.00 points. Puerto Rico took advantage of their home turf by winning the overall crown with 52.00. The Dominican Republic was second with 42.00 and Jamaica was third with 39.00.

Bahamas team manager Gina Gonzalez-Rolle said she was very proud of the team’s performance.

“The conditions were a little rough and what golfers would say was really rough,” she said. “It rained off and on, the field got flooded but because there was no rain since March the ground sucked it up and the kids continued to play.

“The players braved it well and look forward to playing next year in the Cayman Islands.”

The top finishers for Team Bahamas came from Aidan Gorospe, Kerrington Rolle and Heathcliffe Kane, the team captain. Kane also won the Izzy Marley Sportsmanship Award in his final year representing the junior team.

Aidan Gorospe had the best individual finish for the Bahamas with a two-way tie for second place in the boys 13-and-under division with Puerto Rico’s Fernando Leduc. Gorospe shot a three-day total of 73-79-81-233, while Leduc did 76-79-78.

Puerto Rico’s Evan Pena, who was tied with Gorospe with the early lead on day one, won the divisional title with 73-74-81 for his total of 228.

In the under-15 boys division, Jackson Mactaggart was 7th with 249 (79-88-82); Camdyn Forbes ended up in a two-way tie for 14th with 275 (90-94- 91) and Rhan Miller was 17th with 291 (101-103-87).

Cayman Island’s Danny Lyne emerged as the divisional champion with 226 (75-75-76).

Bahamas Golf Federation men’s national champion Heathcliff Kane placed sixth in the boys’ 18-and-under division with 231 (75-81-75) and national men’s runner-up Alexander Dupuch was tied for 14th with 244 (84-82-78).

Puerto Rico’s Kelvin Hernandez, turning in a solid performance, won the divisional crown with 210 after he shot impressive rounds of 73, 68 and 69.

Haley Hall, the lone competitor in the girls’ 13-and-under division, was sixth with 274, shooting 86, 94 and 94. Puerto Rico’s Ava Saavedra won with 237 (79-82-76).

In the girls’ 15-and-under, Chemari Pratt finished ninth with 281, although she managed to bounce back after her opening round of 101 with 85 and 95 on the final two days. Jamaica’s Samantha Azan was the divisional winner with 231 (74-79-78).

And Tyesha Tynes rounded out Team Bahamas’ participation in the girls’ under-18 division where she was 10th with 271 (94-90-87).

Jamaica’s Emily Mayne won the divisional title with 224 (74-70-80).

Lemon Gorospe was the team’s head coach, assisted by Georgette Rolle-Harris and Frederick Taylor.