The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE 4th Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic is now underway at the Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island.

The $1.4 million tournament, offering $210,000 to the overall champion, got started yesterday with a press conference and the one-day qualifying round for the final two spots to complete the field of 120 golfers from around the world, including Bahamian Georgette Rolle.

At the press conference, tournament director Jeff Raedel outlined the particulars.

Ellison ‘Tommy’ Thompson, deputy director general at the Ministry of Tourism, said they were delighted to be back as one of the principal sponsors.

“You can’t have a better setting than here on the Ocean Club Golf Course in the Bahamas,” Thompson said. “We are also pleased that there are other parts of the Bahamas that will be shown during the tournament when we will have over 10 hours of live television, which shows that it’s even better in the Bahamas.”

Coming out of the Bahamas for the third year to play in the tournament is Georgette Rolle, who got the Bahamas exemption after she beat out Raquel Riley in the Bahamas Golf Federation’s trials in December. She’s even more thrilled to be back after losing the spot to Riley last year.

“I’m really excited about playing this year,” she said. “This year is extra special because the Olympics with golf is this year and a lot of players will be playing week in and week out trying to get some ranking points as they can. So it’s really going to be important for me to play as much as I can to try and get the Bahamas in Rio this year.”

Rolle, a 30-year-old teaching professional, encouraged the Bahamian public to come out and watch her and the rest of the field play.

Robbie Leming, general manager at Ocean Club, said the course is in tip-top shape and ready to accommodate the players and the spectators, especially Rolle, whom he considers to be a real professional in the manner in which she has conducted herself on and off the golf course.

“We have a great weather week. We are looking forward to some great golf and some great weather, so come on out and support us,” he stated.

One of the major corporate sponsors for the tournament is Coca-Cola and Cara Douglas, marketing manager at Caribbean Bottling Company Limited, said they forged a close relationship with Pure Silk Bahamas and they are looking forward to continuing their partnership this week.

“Over the past four years, the Pure Silk Golf Tournament has grown in popularity and their roots and reach in the community has both deepened and strengthened. This has been accomplished by partnering with local events, supporting local causes and of course, working with the local golfing community to bring greater exposure to the sport across the Bahamas,” Douglas said.

“Caribbean Bottling Company Limited, the local producers of Coca-Cola, is proud to again this year partner with the LPGA Tournament, giving them the opportunity to continue to impact our community and for us to provide hydration across our product line.”

And Glenn Archer, representing the BGF, said they are proud to be lending their support to the event. “We expect that it will lend itself to growing the game of golf in the Bahamas, as it would allow us to expose the masses in this country so that they can get a better understanding of the game and therefore lend their support in a more voluntary basis so that all of the needs of the tournament are met,” he said.

“This event, we see as a cornerstone that will enable us to expose our junior golfers to a significant degree and the benefits that golf will bring for them, not only for careers as possible professionals in the future, but a seed has been planted whereby they can get educational opportunities.”

While the tournament tees off on Thursday, Raedel said their big day is on Saturday. He noted that Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic has partnered for the first time with the Bahamas Race for the Cure and Marathon Bahamas. He said they distributed over 3,000 tickets to potential spectators and every ticket redeemed at the classic, the LPGA will provide funding to the Sister-Sister charity.

Saturday is also designed as “Kids Day” with a lot of fun activities planned in the kids zone.

“We’re hopeful for a phenomenal finish. We have 10 hours of live broadcasting on the golf channel and we can’t wait for the week to get rolling,” he said.

The majority of the players are expected in town today and will go through their final practice rounds on Wednesday. The first round is slated to tee off at 7am Thursday.