Left, the star of the trials, 20-year-old Fabian Campbell. At right, John Smith will lead Jamaica's charge in the senior section.Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport
DESPITE ALL the exertion put out by the players hoping to represent Jamaica at this year's Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships (CAGC) at the host course, Cinnamon Hill, little was decided on the Easter weekend.
After four days on the Rose Hall Resort layout, which is part links and mainly fine, hilly fairways, few players stood out enough to guarantee berths on the Jamaica team for the 50th anniversary celebration of the region's leading amateur event.
The men's Hoerman Cup team requires five players, the women's George Teale Trophy (GT) side three, the men's intermediate (over-35) Ramon Baez Figueroa (RBF) two, the men's senior Francis and Steele Perkins (FSP) Trophy side two and the super senior Higgs and Higgs (HH) also a pairing.
In unusually benign conditions, few challenged pre-set qualifying marks and the dimpled white ball is now on the tee for the Jamaica Golf Association's (JGA) selection committee which will likely reach a final decision by June on the composition of the home side.
SURE BETS
Three players for the Hoerman Cup are sure bets - young Fabian Campbell, who had a gross score of 291 over the four days, and Cup regulars Owen Samuda (295) and Michael Scott (300). That trio was a class well above the others in the section. The final two places will be discretionary picks between the likes of youngsters Narada Black (310) and Xavier Rose (312), the more seasoned Gifford Wilmot (315) and Carl Bruce (316).
Former team captain Wayne Chai-chong (317) would appear to be on the outside looking in, but could be a possibility for the RBF duo.
In that hybrid class, Keith Stein is a certainty and probably should be partnered by Philip Prendergast, who came down to Jamaica from his Oregon base and battled through a wrist injury for some average but not terrible scores for four days with Stein. His previous RBF experience with notable trials absentee Mike Gleichman should not be under-estimated.
DROP-OFF ALARMING
Nineteen-time Hoerman Cupper John Smith, now 50, is a lock for the FSP side after a four-day gross of 307, but the drop-off in that section was alarming with second-placed Lincoln Williams a whopping 31 strokes behind. Veteran George Hugh, who due to prior commitments was unavailable for the trials, will receive strong consideration from the committee.
The HH team should be a walk in the park with Dennis Atkinson and Harris 'Jolly' Johnson forming the duo.
However, the ladies' team looms as potentially the most contentious. Top qualifier Jodi Barrow is a certainty, but the final two positions are up for grabs as there is a strong chance Diane Lang, the U.S. Amateur Champion in 2005, will be available if she does not qualify for the U.S. Ladies' Open which is played about the same time as the CAGC.
That would leave one place to be decided between stalwart Maggie Lyn and the game Leiza Blakeley, who trialled reasonably well while battling a leg injury over the final two rounds.
Still, there is little place for sentiment when championships are up for grabs in your own backyard and the Jamaica squad could be:
HOERMAN CUP: Fabian Campbell, Owen Samuda, Michael Scott, Narada Black, Xavier Rose.
GEORGE TEALE TROPHY: Jodi Barrow, Maggie Lyn, Diane Lang/Leiza Blakeley.
RAMON BAEZ FIGUEROA TROPHY: Keith Stein, Philip Prendergast.
FRANCIS AND STEELE PERKINS TROPHY: John Smith, George Hugh.
HIGGS AND HIGGS TROPHY: Dennis Atkinson, Harris Johnson.
