The Jamaica Golf Association has announced the preliminary junior team that will represent Jamaica at the 2018 Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship which takes place from July 3-6 at Caymanas Golf Club.

The team was determined following the national trials which took place at Caymanas from March 24-26. Jamaica look set to field a strong team hoping to take advantage of home field and challenge regional powerhouse Puerto Rico for the title.

The trials showed promising displays from Jamaica’s young athletes. Standouts Justin Burrowes, Emily Mayne and Rocco Lopez each won their respective divisions convincingly with scores that show potential to earn maximum points should they replicate their form at the Championship.

Justin Burrowes won the boys’ 18 and under division with a three-day total of 226 (76, 72, 78) setting himself up as the only automatic qualifier from this division having scored well below the maximum scoring requirements.

The boys’ 18 and under division is required to score a maximum of 234 over the three days to automatically make the team. Burrowes should be a strong contender in his division having recently won the Jamaica Open where he competed against some of the top amateur golfers in the region. The remaining two spots in the division will be determined in a qualifying event closer to the date of the championship.

Girls’ 18 and under was won by Tiana Cruz scoring a combined 237 (79, 82, 76). Cruz, who is currently attending school abroad, travelled to Jamaica to take part in the trials. She is a veteran of the national team and has represented Jamaica on numerous occasions. Cruz’s leadership at the Championship will be pivotal to Jamaica’s success later in the year. The remaining spot available in the girls’ 18 and under age group will also be decided closer to the championship.

Two of Jamaica’s top golfers in this division were unable to attend the trials and no other participants made the scoring requirements.

Boys’ 15 and under saw a tie for first place with Triston Brown (86, 82, 77) and Radino Lobban (87, 77, 81) both shooting three-day totals of 245. Brown and Lobban are automatic qualifiers for this year’s team having shot below the maximum allowable of 246 for their age group. Both Brown and Lobban are veterans of the national team. The third and final spot in this division was awarded to Michael Lowe, who shot 255 (87, 89, 79). Lowe improved drastically on the last day of the trials proving to the selection committee his potential to earn valuable points for the team.

Rocco Lopez won the boys’ 13 and under division with a three-day total of 222 (71, 74, 77), which was the lowest qualifying score of all juniors at the trials. His first-round score of 71 was the only under par round shot for the tournament. Lopez is set to represent Jamaica for the third consecutive year and is hoping to make a big impact for the team. Matthew Grant claims the second spot in this division shooting 248 (85, 85, 78), placing him well below the required qualifying score of 258.

Emily Mayne won the girls’ 13 and under division scoring 246 (91, 78, 77). Mayne’s second and third day scores were back-to-back personal bests proving that her game is rapidly improving and has the potential to score major points for the team.

Mattea Issa qualified as the youngest member of the team at 11 years old taking the second spot in the 13 and under division with a score of 269 (91, 87, 91).

National team coach Jason Lopez fancies the team’s chances at the Championship. Lopez now takes over to develop the team through a series of intensive training leading up to the tournament.

“I’m very proud of the way the kids performed in the junior national trials. With continued hard work and preparation, I am of the opinion that our team can win the overall title this year. Our team has a great mix of seasoned players, and up and coming talent. This will bode well for our team come tournament time, because that’s when things can get a bit dicey,” said Lopez.

“We will need strong leadership from our 18 and under boys and girls. I have no doubt that they are up for the challenge, and our young players will lift the level of their games,” he added.

The junior golf programme has made tremendous strides over the last few years through the special effort of JGA Junior Golf Chairperson Alison Reid and the support of the programme’s sponsors.

Reid continues to develop events through which the junior golfers can compete and gain valuable experience. These events have helped to make the juniors better prepared for the international stage and introduced the golf to a wide cross section of juniors.

The juniors continued to develop their game recently through participation in the Sandals Foundation Junior Cup. The first match of the cup took place at Caymanas Golf Club on April 21. The second match takes place at Sandals Golf and Country Club on May 5 and is part of the inaugural Sandals Golf and Jerk Festival.

The festival is being developed to boost support for junior golf across the island and in particular the Sandals Foundation junior golf programme, which has been involved in the sport since 2012, developing junior golfers and exposing them to the opportunities and life lessons intrinsic to golf.