The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

SEVERAL days remain before competition officially tees off at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic. However, the event has already taken on a local perspective.

Nearly 100 students participated in a pair of clinics at the Ocean Club Golf Course yesterday to officially open the weeklong schedule of activities surrounding the marquee event, which also marks the commencement of the 2014 LPGA Tour.

Local pro Georgette Rolle was joined by Jennifer Song and Kris Tamulis as clinic instructors on the afternoon as they hosted the group of prospective golfers.

The trio gave an overview of their path to professional golf before engaging in a question and answer period with the students.

The clinic also included a practical session as participants had an opportunity to take to the range themselves and learn the basics in swing fundamentals from the golf pros.

Rolle, a 28-year-old who won the Bahamas National Amateur Championship twice, in 2003 and 2007, was awarded a sponsor exemption in 2013.

Since graduating from Texas Southern University, Rolle has spent most of her time as an LPGA teaching and club professional Class B member while trying to build her career as a touring professional.

“It was a good feeling to introduce golf to so many young people,” said Rolle, a two-time Bahamas National Amateur champion. “I hope that they will grow to see how much fun and how rewarding golf can be.”

Song, 24, is a three-year tour veteran after a historically successful amateur career.

In 2009 she became just the fourth player to win both the US Women’s Amateur Public Links and the US Women’s Amateur, and just the second to win both tournaments in the same year.

She was named the Futures Tour Rookie of the Year in 2010 before joining the LPGA Tour in 2011 and is currently ranked No.291 in the Rolex Rankings.

Tamulis, 34, enters her 10th year on the Tour and is currently ranked No. 287 in the Rolex Rankings. 

One of those involved in the clinic was nine-year-old Cameo Stuart Jr, who came prepared with his own clubs and golf glove. The third-grader at The Meridian School was one of the few who had golf experience. 

He has been playing the game for three years.

The clinic was facilitated by the Ministry of Tourism and  Diamonds International’s DI Cares programme.

“Diamonds International, through the DI Cares programme, saw it necessary to sponsor the clinic. Our whole objective was to work with the community and get as many kids involved in the programme from various schools throughout the country. We had kids from major private schools, public schools and even some of the smaller private schools so we could really get a good cross section of participants to take advantage of this opportunity,” marketing manager Adrian Francis said.

“We want to be more philanthropic and have a connection with the community rather than just to focus on the business side of what we do. We want to give back to the community through several of the major landmark programmes happening in town. We decided to come on board with the clinic because we want to get more kids actively involved in sports, and in particular one like golf that they may not have thought they had access to.”

The organisation was also a major sponsor behind the Bahamas IAAF World Championship team which competed in Moscow, Russia.

“Based on all the social ills going on in the country we feel like sports can be one of the mechanisms through which healing comes,” Francis said. “We want them to focus on some discipline and sports creates disciplinary practices and that carries over into other aspects of life. One of the students asked the professional golfers if they got scholarships through golf and when they heard that the answer was ‘yes’ you can see it had an effect on them. That is the message we are going for. That sports is one of those tools you can use to reach higher education.”

Emily Palacioz, tournament coordinator, said last week that organisers have gone through great lengths to ensure as many spectators as possible are attracted to this year’s event.

“The gates open for the public beginning on the 23rd at approximately 8am and we will be ready. Parking is going to be at Hurricane Hole on Paradise Island and it is absolutely free. They are going to have shuttles going back and forth to the golf course and once they get in, admission is free as well,” she said. “On Saturday, we are going to have a kids’ family fun day. It is going to be down by the driving range. We are going to have some tents set up and one fun thing is we are going to have mini-golf for all the kids. We may have some special appearances and it is just a great day for the family to come out and learn more about the game and spend the day together. That is free as well.”

Billed as a star-studded event, approximately 108 players will compete on the 72-hole famed Ocean Club Golf Course over four days for a chance to win $195,000.

It is the second consecutive year the Ocean Club is hosting the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic, which takes place January 23-26.