The Alliance Buccaneer Memorial Golf Tournament was launched yesterday at the Constant Spring Golf Club in Kingston.

The 22nd staging of the tournament, which is Alliance’s 10th consecutive year of sponsorship, will tee-off this Saturday and Sunday at the Caymanas Golf Club with tee times between 7:00 am – 1:00 pm each day. The pros will take the course at 10:00 am, while the juniors will tee off at 1:00 pm.

The tournament features two different competitions running concurrently. One will be a two-day, 36-hole Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) qualifier, while the other to be played on Sunday will be a modified Stableford competition in the form of a charity fund-raiser for the Laws Street Trade Training Centre and the Jamaica Cancer Society. The objective for this year is to hand over well in excess of one and a half-million dollars to the two institutions.

The format of play features: Saturday and Sunday – Medal Play HCP 0-6 and 7-11, Stableford HCP 13-24, professionals, men, seniors, super seniors, ladies and juniors, while on Sunday it will be Stableford HCP 0-12, 13-24, 25-36, men and ladies. The juniors will compete for the Vitoria Marley Trophy. Marley died in an accident on a golf course.

According to tournament director David Mais, some of the golfers who will be on the course include several local professional golfers and amateurs. The amateurs will include this year’s national champion Sean Morris, former JGA presidents Gordon Hutchinson and Wayne Chai Chong, as well as Maurice Foster, Peter Chin (current president of JGA) and Teddy Richards. Seniors include Rory Jardine, Robert Chin, Gregg Chong and Tommy Lee; The men include Radcliffe Knibbs, Jonathon Newnham and Dave Cameron, president of Cricket West Indies.

Peter Chin said that in addition to the competition for the amateurs, there will also be a professional section which will be led by defending champion Fabian Campbell. Twelve golfers have registered to compete for a prize money of $120,000.

Chin also mentioned that through the staging of golf tournaments across the island over $30 million is realised for charity annually.

This year’s competition is being played in the memory of five of Jamaica’s outstanding past national representatives — Milton ‘Buddy’ Josephs, Izette Rhone, Lenan Lennie Chin, John Fulford, Al Chong and Mark Chin, former captain of the Buccaneers.

The title sponsor is Alliance Investment Management, while the associate sponsors include AMG Packaging & Paper Company, ICCL – Island Concrete and Chad Ad.

The awards presentation ceremony is scheduled for next Monday at Constant Spring Golf Club in Kingston beginning at 7:00 pm.