The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SOPHIE Anand continues to hold onto her lead in the girls’ 15-and-under division, while Diego Azar surged to the front in the boys’ 11-13 division as day two of the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships came to a close at the Albany Golf Club yesterday.

Anand, who had posted the first-day low score of three-under-par-69, went two-over-par with a 74 on day two yesterday.

The 14-year-old is still leading the race for the Kenneth Francis Trophy with a one-stroke one-under-par lead. Right on her trail is Emily Mayne from Jamaica, who had two consecutive even-pars of 72 to sit in second place with 144.

Kyndall Campbell, the other Bahamian entered in the division, improved on her 94 on day one with 91 yesterday, but is still in eighth place with 185.

Azar, a 13-year-old rookie national team player, repeated his 75 from day one yesterday for his two-day total of 150 as they broke away from Daniel Belardo of Puerto Rico, who had an 82 to go along with his 75 on day one for 157 and second place. In the boys’ 15-and-under division for the Arturo Pellerano Trophy, Bahamian Healthcliff Kane dropped from second to fourth place with an 82. His 78 from day one pushed his total to 160.

Justin Hastings from the Cayman Islands surged from a two-way tie with Kane on day one to take control of the leaderboard with a 73 and a total of 151. Gustavo Rangel Badillo, the initial leader from Puerto Rico with 73, had an 81 yesterday that moved him in second with 154.

The two other Bahamians in the field - Benjamin Knowles and Zion Taylor - reversed their order of finish. Knowles climbed from 15th with 97 to tie for 13th with a 77 and a total of 174, the same total as Matthew Grant from Jamaica. Taylor, who was 13th with a 90, shot an 85 for a total of 175 that knocked him into 15th.

And in the boys’ 18-and-under division for the James Moss-Solomon Trophy, Bahamian Saketh Hedge fell from sixth place with 77 on day one to a tie with Juan Ignacio Suau for a tie for seventh with 162 after he shot an 84 yesterday.

Dominic Greives, the other Bahamian in the field, remains in 15th place. He ballooned with a 121 yesterday to add to his 105 on day one for a total of 226.

On the girls’ side, the other Bahamians in action didn’t move up the ladder.

Tynesha Tynes, who opened up with a second-place with 87, dropped to fifth place with a 99 yesterday for her total of 186. Camila Negroni remained out front for the John Fitzgerald Trophy by adding a 79 yesterday to her 83 on day one for a total of 162.

And in the girls’ 18-and-under division for the Cesar Rivera Trophy, Bahamian Haylie Turnquest slipped from fourth with her 88 on day one to fifth yesterday with 78 for a 166 total. Ashley Michel (91-80) is now in a two-way tie for fifth with Camila Robles (86-85) from Puerto Rico with 171 each.

Emily Odwin of Barbados is still the leader with 151. After her even-par-72 on day one, she turned in a 79 yesterday. But she still holds a three-stroke lead over Jamaica’s Hannah Foster, who trails with 154 (76-78).

The third and final rounds will be played, starting at 8:30am today. Immediately following play, the Caribbean Amateur Golf Association will crown its new champions.

Puerto Rico is the defending champions and the leaders after the first two days of competition.