JAMAICAN golfers will be looking to end their long winless drought when they host the 59th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships (CAGC) set for July 28-31 at the Half Moon and Cinnamon Hill courses in Montego Bay.

Peter Chin, president of the Jamaica Golf Association said they are extremely proud to be hosts. He said their intention is to make this one of the most memorable championships in the history of the event.

“The championships will be played at two of the finest golf courses in the Caribbean, namely Half Moon and Cinnamon Hill. In addition, we will be turning on our world-famous Jamaican hospitality,” said Chin at the press launch at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Wednesday.

“It has been a long time since Jamaica has been Caribbean champions and we are hopeful we can regain that status on home soil,” Chin added.

This premier golfing event, which started in 1957, has grown from a competition between just Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago to a tournament that also includes The Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos and the US Virgin Islands.

Wayne Chai-Chong, treasurer of the Caribbean Golf Association, revealed that the tournament was scheduled to be hosted by the Bahamas this year, “but they had some challenges”.

Countries will be vying for the Hoerman Cup, awarded to the best male team. The other is the George Teale Cup which is given to the champion female team. Puerto Rico are defending Hoerman Cup champions, while Trinidad & Tobago won the George Teale Cup last year.

Other divisional awards up for grabs are the Ramon Baez Trophy (35-49 year-old) won by Dominican Republic; Francis/Steele-Perkins Cup (50-59) won by Puerto Rico who also captured the Higgs and Higgs Trophy (60 and older).

The points earned from each division will be tallied for each country to determine the overall winner of the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship for the Arthur Ziadie Trophy won by Puerto Rico.

Jamaica’s luxurious courses will be on show during the region’s premier event and will be broadcast live by title sponsors Digicel SportsMax.

Ransford Ricketts, channel programming director, noted that they will be showcasing and streaming the golf event to sport fans across 25 Caribbean islands.

“Digicel SportsMax is proud to sponsor with the Caribbean Golf Association in furthering the impact in the region of the competition for the next three years,” said Ricketts.

Jamaica’s Hoerman Cup team consists of Jonathan Newnham, Sean Morris, William Knibbs, Owen Samuda and Ian Facey with Zandre Roye as reserve.

Peter Chin, Easton Williams and reserve Gordon Hutchinson will compete for the Higgs & Higgs Trophy.

The George Teale Trophy team includes Madeline Piccininni, Tiana Cruz, Kei Harris with Jodi Barrow as reserve. While Gifford Wilmot, Mark Newnham and reserve Robert Chin will compete for the Ramon Baez Cup.

The Francis & Steele Perkins Trophy team is Keith Stein, Radcliff Knibbs and reserve Greg Chong.

— Howard Walker