The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas may not have won the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship crown, but at least two of the competitors made an impression among their peers at the Albany Golf Club last week.

At the end of the three-day event on Friday, Diego Azar captured the boys' 11-13 title, while Sophie Anand emerged as the champion in the girls' 14-15 division.

Azar captured the Bob Slatter Trophy for boys 11-13 with 12-over for 228. Daniel Belardo (Puerto Rico) was second 19-over at 235 and third was Kurt Rivers of Turks & Caicos Islands with 28-over for 244.

Anand clinched the Kenneth Francis Trophy for girls' 15-&-under with just 2-over for 218. Emily Mayne of Jamaica was second with 8-over for 224.

"We're extremely happy. We see how the work that the juniors are putting into their game is really starting to pay off and the Bahamas is really starting to become a great junior golf team powerhouse," said Bahamas team manager Alena Hutchinson.

"We're happy that their standard of play is being elevated."

In the final standings for the overall trophy, the Bahamas had to settle for third place with their best showing in the last six years. "I'm extremely pleased with the way the team played and how they handled the pressure of being a part of the team," Hutchinson said. "They performed very well and they were great ambassadors for the country."

The Bahamas ended up in third place with points for the prestigious Hank James Trophy. Puerto Rico successfully defended its title after they pulled ahead of Jamaica, breaking up a two-way tie at the end of round two.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Lanisha Rolle, who was absent for the opening ceremonies, was on hand to present the trophy and medals to the various winners, along with Sidney Wolf, president of the Caribbean Golf Association.

Joining Azar and Anand on top of the podium as individual winners were the following:

Justin Burrowes of Jamaica, who won the James Moss-Solomon Trophy (boys-18-&-under) with 2-under par for a total of 214.

Second was Andres Aranguren from Puerto Rico with 1-over at 217, and third was Aaron Jarvis (Cayman) with 4-over for 220.

Arturo Pellerano Trophy (boys 15-&-under) was awarded to Puerto Rico's Gustavo Rangel Badillo with 8-over for 224. Justin Hastings of Cayman was second with 10-over at 226 followed by Rocco Lopez of Jamaica with 21-over for 237.

The Peter Hale Trophy (girls 18-&-under) was awarded to Emily Odwin (Barbados) with 15-over for 231. Hannah Foster from Jamaica followed with 21-over at 237 and third was Trinidad's Yeji Lee with 23-over for-239.

In the girls' 11-13, Camila Negroni (Puerto Rico) won the John Fitzgerald Trophy with 23-over for 239 followed by Jamaicans Mattea Issa with 54-over for 270 and Winni Lau with 56-over at 272.

Other Bahamian finishes were as follows - Boys 15-and-under - Heathcliff Kane tied for fourth.

A total of 66 juniors from seven Caribbean countries competed this year.