THE Jamaica Golf Association’s (JGA) trials for the Caribbean Amateur Golf Association’s (CAGC) Four-Ball Championship teed off on Friday at Caymanas Golf Club in St Catherine.

The three-day, fifty-four-hole trials will be on the course until Sunday.

This is in preparation for Jamaica’s defence of its the Ambrose Gouthro Trophy, which it first won in 2019 in Florida; there was no competition in 2020 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The bulk of that winning team successfully defended the country trophy and category trophies in 2021 when competition resumed.

This year, 14 sets of two-man teams are vying for spots to represent Jamaica for the Higgs & Higgs Cup for men in the super senior category (over 60), the Francis Steele Trophy senior category (over 50), and the Ramon Baez Cup for men over thirty-five.

Eight teams turned up to the trials for the qualifying spot in the Higgs & Higgs Cup, with the top three teams posting under par scores. Michael Boyd and Bert Tomlinson took the early lead at the end of day one with a three under par 69. They are followed by Winston Watson and Carlyle Hudson who were just one stroke behind on two under par 70.

The tight competition continued with former JGA President Wayne Chai-Chong and Rory Jardine joining forces in the third spot on one under par 71.

Five teams started the first round in hot pursuit of the Francis & Steele Perkins Trophy qualifying spot but top honours went to the team of Dr Mark Newnham and Michael Gleishman who ended the round on one under par 71. Owen Samuda and Philip Prendergast were two strokes back on one over par 73 in second place, while William Lee and Philip Gooden were another two strokes back on three over par 75.

The pair of Sean Morris and Delroy Johnson are playing for their chance to represent Jamaica in the Four-Ball Championship for the Ramon Baez Cup. Their first round score was three over par 75.

The ladies, who will represent Jamaica in the championship, gained automatic qualification this year.

According to the USGA’s (US Golf Association) Rules of Golf, four-ball stroke play is a competition in which two competitors play as partners, each playing his own ball. The lower score of the partners is the score for the hole.

Second-day action will get underway on today with Metry Seaga and Dave Cameron teeing off at 7:30 am.