Defending champions Sean Morris and Mark Newnham carry a seven-stroke lead into today’s second day of action in the Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) trials at the Caymanas Golf Club in St Catherine.

Tee off time is 8:00 am.

The three-day trials, which got under way, saw Morris and Newnham posting an untouchable six under par 66 to lead the competition ahead of Radcliffe Knibbs and John O’Donoghue, who scored one over par 73.

Phillip Prendergast and Owen Samuda are one stroke back in third place on 74.

The 54-hole event is being used to select Jamaica’s team to the Caribbean Amateur Golf Association Four-Ball Championship to be held in Florida in October.

Jamaica will be seeking to defend the Ambrose Gouthro trophy at the four-ball championship, which the country won in 2019 when the event was last staged.

The bulk of golfers from that winning team are contesting the trials with hopes of booking a ticket to this year’s competition.

As per the guidelines of the United States Golf Association (USGA), four-ball stroke play is a competition in which two people join as partners, each playing his own ball. The lower score of the team stands as the score for the hole.

Five teams started the first round in pursuit of the Francis & Steel Perkins Trophy qualifying spot, but Morris and Newnham signalled intentions that they are not about to relinquish their title.

“Mark and I made the decision to team up this year to play the better ball team event with the intent of defending our Caribbean senior title, as the champions for the senior division in the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships.

“So today (yesterday), we worked out our strategy that I would take the odd holes and he would take the even holes, in terms of who gets the honour on the tee box. We started a little bit flat on the first hole but we later cranked it up,” Morris said in a post-day interview.

Nine teams are vying for the qualifying spot in the Higgs & Higgs Cup with the team of Dorrel Allen and Robert Chin, joint first with Peter Chin and George Hugh with a two over par 74. Michael Boyd and Bert Tomlinson occupy third position with three over par 75.

The female team of Jodi Munn-Barrow and Alison Reid posted a three under par 75. They are seeking to confirm spots on the team to challenge for the Marie Nunes Trophy at the four-ball championship.

The other female team of Maggi Lyn and Michele McCreath posted three under par 75. They are hoping to challenge for the Dessie Henry Trophy.