Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport

Left: Keith Stein ... will be expected to lead Jamaica's charge in the Hoerman Cup.Right: Paul Thompson ... shot a four-day total of 306 to tie for the best men's score with Gifford Wilmot. - photos by Claudine Housen/Staff Photographer

JAMAICA'S CHANCES of emerging with any hardware from next month's Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships (CAGC) in the Dominican Republic appear slim after a relatively inexperienced squad was chosen from the recent national trials.

Jamaica hosted the event last year at the Caymanas Golf and Country Club but only managed to win one section - the women's George Teale Trophy - and things will be much tougher this time around at the tricky Santo Domingo Country Club course.

Selection process

The national selectors basically went with last month's four-day trial form at the Caymanas and Half Moon courses in which, for the first time in many years, no automatic qualifying marks were set. That may have been a blessing for the competitors as none were able to shoot a sub-par round at either course and only one (men's reserve Damian Spencer at Caymanas) managed a par score. The premier event at the CAGC is the men's Hoerman Cup and Jamaica's charge will be led by leading trialists Gifford Wilmot and Paul Thompson, Radcliff Knibbs, promising youngster Fabian Campbell and veteran Keith Stein.

The team appears very light on top-flight experience and much will depend on Stein, who returned to international competition after a lengthy layoff last year.

Mark Newnham and CAGC debutant Robert Chin will comprise the Ramon Baez Cup team in the category for over-35s.

Veteran campaigner John Smith, who did not attend the trials held from June 21-24 for medical reasons, will be paired with newcomer Opeton Marshall in the men's Seniors competition - the Francis-Steele Perkins Trophy.

Last year, Smith and George Hugh, who is a reserve this time around, performed creditably to finish second in the section and this year's combination may well be this island's best hope of snaring a crown.

The Higgs and Higgs Trophy team for men over 60 also has some title claims through perennial national representative Dennis Atkinson and Fred 'Cricket' Sutherland their trial form, like that of many of their teammates, was inconsistent.

Jamaica go into the George Teale Trophy competition as defending champions but their chances of keeping the ladies' crown look grim.

Only one member of last year's victorious three-woman team, Maggie Lyn, returns to the fray and she missed the trials due to overseas commitments.

Lyn's teammates last year, Jodi Barrow and Tiffany Terrier, were unavailable for selection and have been replaced in the side by Leiza Blakeley and youngster Lindsey Chang.

This year's 51st CAGC will be held from August 5-11.