The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

NORMALLY only the performances of the players are celebrated on the golf course, but today the Bahamas Golf Federation is recognising the achievement of rising young star Christopher Knowles in the classroom.

In being selected as the top performer in the 2021 BGSCEs exams during the Ministry of Education’s National Examinations Awards Presentation earlier this month, the BGF is calling it an even-par, comparing it a score produced by an expert golfer.

Knowles, the son of Dr Ronald and Richelle Knowles, started playing golf in the summer of 2015 when he was 10 years old. He’s now a 17-year-old 12th grader at Queen’s College and has a younger brother Michael following in his footsteps.

“At the end of practice, our coach, Georgette Rolle-Harris, taught us the core values needed in the game,” said Knowles about his introduction to the sport. “I learned about honesty, responsibility, confidence and good sportsmanship. “As I continued to play golf and developed a passion for it, I realised many of these values were also life lessons. These played a significant role in helping me become self-disciplined and focused on the high academic goals that I pursued.”

Knowles said all of the values Rolle-Harris spoke to him about, assisted him during his high school years when the pressures of course work, exams, and college applications became daunting.

“Now that I am preparing for the subsequent phases in life, I know these values that Georgette, the other coaches, and parents at Fourteen Clubs Golf Academy have instilled within me will prove to be a valuable asset for me as I go through with becoming a medical student and eventually a dermatologist,” Knowles said.

Rolle-Harris, the founder and head coach of Fourteen Clubs Golf Academy, said since Knowles began in the programme in the fall of 2016, he’s been able to progress very quickly, which is why she’s delighted about his achievement in school.

“He was one of the lucky recipients of the 2017 Ocean Club Junior Golf Scholarships. This was definitely a game changer as he was able to practice and play year round. He always had a great mind so many of the sessions were filled with his thought-provoking questions about the golf swing and life,” said Rolle-Harris, who serves as the head golf professional at Baha Mar.

“As he got older and began to prepare for BJCs and BGCSEs, golf became a weekend hobby for him. He then would mostly be seen playing golf with his younger brothers each Saturday or Sunday. He is one who is able to quickly prepare for a golf tournament because his fundamentals are solid. We are more than proud of Christopher becoming the first male to top the BGCSE examinations.”

Gina Gonzales-Rolle, a director of the BGF and the chairman of the BGF’s junior development programme, said Knowles is an amazing young man with great morals and standards, adding that whatever he puts his mind to he can do it and he does it well.

“He doesn’t give up easily neither does he allow anything to make him afraid, it seems as though he takes small strides to make great big steps. I consider Chris to be extremely talented. He placed third in the first ever national school championship held last March and put his team in position to place second in their division,” Gonzales-Rolle said.

“Because of his studies in school he did not have the time to practice as much as he wanted to this year because he spent many late nights studying and putting his all in to be on the top of the leader board. I am so proud of all of his accomplishments including his books which he wrote.”

As a mentor for Knowles, Gonzales-Rolle said it has been easy to work with him.

“Once I ask him to assist in any way he makes the time to help. I look forward to seeing his dream of being an amazing dermatologist who plays golf well on recreational level,” said Gonzales-Rolle as she congratulated Knowles on behalf of the BGF junior division.

Rolle-Harris, also a director of the BGF, calls Knowles a “great role model for our junior golfers,” who has great time management skills and has offered to assist junior golfers to efficiently plan for BGCSE exams.

“We are looking forward to having more of our junior golfers following in his path,” she stated.

In providing his advice to young people, Knowles encouraged them to find a sport they truly love and use it as a tool to increase their health and fitness because he believes in the old myth that all school and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

“Sports are an excellent avenue to make friends, learn about teamwork and sportsmanship, and become more responsible and mature. Life is all about balance, try to find a happy medium,” he said. “If you set goals, make plans, and keep up with deadlines, you can excel at a sport while excelling academically.

“Sports like golf can be used to aid in your higher education as many golf scholarships are available. Balance is the key - eating and sleeping well, exercising through sports, studying hard, and putting your best effort into everything you do will allow you to have a stable, meaningful life.”

In thanking God for the trust he placed in him, Knowles said he only excelled and became who he is today because of his faith in God. “Psalm 9:1 says “I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders,” Knowles quoted. “The Lord has certainly graced me with his wonders. I am grateful that I have been able to use the gifts he has bestowed upon me and use them to their fullest advantage.

“I have not only God to thank but also all those who have positively impacted my life and extend my gratitude to these coaches, including Georgette Rolle-Harris, Gina Gonzales-Rolle, Marcus Pratt, Tony Singh and Fred Taylor for specifically for being instrumental in my success at golf.”

Knowles is expected to tee off once again for Queen’s College when the BGF hosts the second Inter-school National Golf Championships from the week of March 21 at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

He is also expected to be one of the players competing in the BGF’s Junior National Championships, scheduled for April 2-3 at the Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island.