The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

TWO years ago after national and African American Golfer’s Hall of Famer Agatha M Delancy formed the non-profit Flamingos Women’s Golf Club, they will host their first tournament on Saturday at the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Nine-Hole Golf Club.

The event is all set to tee off at 9:30am and will have a cross section of rising young junior players to the veteran players. A total of 18 players, placed in seven different threesome teams, are expected to participate.

Alena Hutchenson, former national junior, senior and collegiate player, will be the lead instructor. She is the only LPGA Class A teaching professional in the country, but she finds herself in good company as there are fewer than 30 African American and or Black LPGA teaching professionals in the sport.

“I’m honoured to be the only LPGA Class A teaching professional in the country as it shows my commitment to continuing to grow as an instructor,” Hutchenson said.

“In 2010, after I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management (from Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, NC (outside of Charlotte), I knew that once I moved back home. I wanted to be involved in changing the direction of golf, especially junior golf so to do that I needed to be trained.”

As she trained through the Ladies Professional Golf Association for about ten years, Hutchenson said it opened the door for Georgette Rolle and Raquel Riley to join and become LPGA Teaching Professionals with Class B Certifications.

“The Bahamas Golf Federation played a crucial role in my development as a golfer as well as giving other golfers like me the opportunity for exposure and the ability to travel to international tournaments,” she said. “I truly wish that others who were a part of this federation can give back to its continued development if it’s not through serving as a board member this can also be done by the giving of support through donations.”

Hutchenson's involvement in golf dates back to the late 1990’s and continued as she previously held the post of junior golf director for over six years in a philanthropic position where she served as a national team coach and manager for the BGF’s national teams.

Delancy, a former president of the BGF, noted that the club, which seeks to build a community that empowers women and young girls in partnership with the BGF’ Ladies Division and current Ladies Chairperson Dr. Patti Symonette.

The club includes women from various professional backgrounds and who serve or have served the country in numerous capacities. It also includes our junior membership for young girls between the ages of 14 -18, but their clinics, intensive beginner and intermediate monthly courses, lessons and league play extend to women 70-plus years.

Delancy, who is also a Senior Women’s National team manager and member as well as founding chair of the BGF’s Ladies Division,, said Hutchenson has done a phenomenal job since she returned home in assisting her with getting the club off the ground.

“We had some things like the Hurricane and Covid-19, which we had no control over, but they knocked us off stride,” Delancy said. “But once Alena came on and started working with us, she has done a phenomenal job.

“We are seeing growth, almost on a daily basis. We can tell you that another lady is coming along. Give it a year and we can have a membership to anywhere, almost a 100 golfers. That’s how much we are growing.”

The lessons, conducted by Hutchenson, are very well structured, according to Delancy, and they are affordable.

“She puts her emphasis on quality and not quantity,” Delancy said. “Her class sizes are normally no more than four per session and they are for one hour each time.”

Hutchenson added that the tournament will serve as a learning experience and will also unite all of the ladies currently involved in their golf sessions, many of whom have not met before.

Teams will comprise one intermediate golfer and two novices.

“This will help bridge the gap between seasoned players and newcomers to the game,” Hutchenson said. “Also it will be a great opportunity to gauge how well golfers are improving and the necessary steps needed thereafter to further add consistency to their games.

“All of the teams are evenly divided so it truly is based on the conditions of the course as well as how well each team plays together that will determine the tournament’s champions.

The tee times for Saturday’s event are as follows::

9:30 am - Agatha Mona Delancy, Vanria Munnings and A. Pamela Thompson.

9:45 am - Dr. Patti Symonette, Templa Kemp-Lightbourne and Rachel Quant.

10:00 am - Helen Saunders, Immalasha Johnson-Thompson and Tamica Rahming.

10:15 am - Christine Malard, Roberta Quant and Anja Charles.

10:30 am - Gwendolyn Knowles, Sharon Cleare and Antoinette Russell.

10:45 am - Surinder Deal, Antonia Richards and Cherise Archer.

11:00 am - Patryce Curry. Shervonne Johnson and Kyra Isaacs.