The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE she’s still waiting to compete in her next professional golf tournament, Georgette Rolle is making good use of her time at home to assist the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Junior Division with the development of the younger competitors in the country.

Rolle, through her Fourteen Clubs Golf Academy, hosted the first leg of her Junior Links Tournament in the BGF Range facility at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex on Saturday. Some 31 competitors participated in the tournament that is slated to continue every two weeks until the grand finale on Saturday, December 20.

The golfers are divided into groups as they compete in either the three-hole modified division or the 5-hole modified division. Each tournament, they will gain points based on a combination of their course scores and skills test results and at the end of the season, the highest points winner will receive a grand prize.

Rolle, the premier female golfer in the country, said the first event was a tremendous success with McDonald’s on board as a sponsor of the gift certificates that was presented to the various winners.

“It was better than what I expected. We had some of our top junior golfers participating,” she said. “The calibre of play from the students that me and Alanna Hutchinson have been working with was very encouraging. Alanna, who is working with the Junior Division of the BGF, is using this to help prepare the national team.

“So we are looking forward to some very good results coming out of this tournament. And once they go to the tournaments to compete for the national team, they will have a very good awareness of what to expect because they would have had an opportunity to work on the things that they would have done in practice.”

After the first leg, Anai Powell of Tambearly School took the early lead in the 3-hole modified division with 11 points. She was followed by Sasha Thompson of Queen’s College, also with 11. Oliver Moncur of St Andrew’s was third with 12 and Kasar Patton of Kingsway Academy and Tayler Johnson of Yellow Elder Primary rounded out the top five with 13 and 15 respectively.

As for the 5-hole modified division, Inecia Rolle of Queen’s College is out front with 15 points. Aharon Bastian, a home school student, was second with 15, Brian Coakley of the College of the Bahamas third with 17, Ryan Coerbell of Kingsway Academy fourth with 18 and Alex Gibson of CH Reeves completed the top five.

“We are looking at having a higher rate of participation simply because it’s a points event,” Rolle said. “This is giving us an opportunity to see how the golfers are improving from one tournament to the next. I expect more participation now that the word has gotten out that the tournament has started.”

Working along with Rolle and Hutchinson are Ricardo Davis Jr, Nolan Johnson and sisters Annamae and Eugenia Adderley. There was also a physician to assist in any medical problems that might have occurred. There were a few parents on hand, but Rolle said they can always use more volunteers.

Rolle also expressed her thanks to the golfing staff for preparing the site for the tournament.

Interested golfers who still wish to participate in the tournament and anyone who wishes to volunteer are urged to contact FCGA at fourteenclubsgolfacademy@gmail.com or the BGF Junior Division at bfgjuniorgolf@gmail.com.