TRYALL, Hanover — Despite not scoring as he wanted to, Jamaica’s Justin Burrowes retained the amateur title at the 55th Jamaica Golf Association Open that finished at Tryall Club on Monday after shooting a three-day score of three over par 219.

Burrowes, who was the only amateur to card an under par score on any of the three days when he registered a two under par 70 on Monday’s second round after a four over 76 on the first day, said it was “great” to top the amateurs once again.

“It feels great. I played very solid golf the last three days, I did not score as well as I wanted to but I still played good,” he said on Tuesday.

Burrowes and fellow Jamaican Zandre Roye, who was second in the amateurs with six over 222, will be be allowed entry to the Trinidad and Tobago Open free of cost, while former winner William Knibbs was third with 10 over 226.

Meanwhile, Jamaican Wesley Brown slipped to joint 15th place in the professional category shooting a three-day score of three over par 219 after a good start.

Brown was third after the first day when he shot a three under par 69 and was well placed midway the second round when he ran into trouble and shot a five over par 77 and finished with a one over 73 on Tuesday.

The tournament teed off on Sunday under poor weather conditions that had affected the Pro-Am the day before and Burrowes admitted it made the situation more difficult.

“The conditions were not easy…the greens were very difficult but I am thankful that we were able to get three dry days in, but I am overall pleased with my game and feel there is something to build on and it is always an honour to win,” he said.

There was a rain delay early on the first day and he said “it did not really affect me but when I think about it, we were on a rush for sunlight which was a bit annoying”.

“But it’s a part of it that everybody has to deal with some little things at times and I just have to learn to deal with some little things and not get too ahead of myself and not rushing when time is against me but yeah, I was very surprised that I did not have to take out the umbrella, so I was very happy with that,” Burrowes noted.

He completed the tournament in style with a long birdie putt on the final hole in front of an appreciative crowd and gave the credit to his caddy.

“That was all on my caddy to be honest, he just gave me a really good line and he had been giving me good lines all week and I just got a really good putt with good speed and I give my caddy all the credit,” he said.

— Paul Reid