JAMAICA’S young golfers recently completed their three-day trial at Caymanas Golf Club where they performed well under challenging conditions. The trials were geared towards selecting the team for this year’s Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship (CAJGC) which will be held at the trials venue later this year, in early July.

Trey Williams led the boys while Mattea Issa led the girls with outstanding performances. Williams was the only golfer to post an under par score with a two-under-par 70 on the final day.

Williams faced six competitors in the Boys’ 18 and Under category. He posted eight over par 80, four over par 76, and two under par 70 for the three days,respectively, for a combined total of 10 over par 226 — his best placement in a local competition to date.

“I feel really good about it. After the first day I was down by a good amount but I just kept my cool. I knew that I can play this course well, and for the next two days I just made sure I played conservative and I gave it my all, and it worked out,” shared Williams.

“Seeing how the championship is at this very course and I know I can play well at this course, I am going to continue to practise, make sure that my game is at the top that it can be, and give it my all when the championship comes and make sure that I can do well,” he added.

Aman Dhiman was second with scores of 72, 84 and 78 for a total score of 18 over par 234, while Ryan Lue was two strokes back on 236 (76, 83, 77).

Issa with scores of 81, 80, 81 (242) said the conditions were difficult.

“To set the scene, the layout of the course was very difficult. Where they put the pins and where they put the tee boxes, they made the course as hard as possible for us kids to challenge us. And then also the conditions of the course — like the wind and the condition of the grass and the bunkers — it was unpredictable where the ball might go at certain times, and the speed of the greens and things like that, so you have to take that in consideration before analysing the scores and analysing the weekend.”

The other female competitor in the Girls’ 18 and Under category was Anoushka Katri. She scored 107, 99 and 94 for a three-day total of 300.

When finalised the Jamaica team is to undergo intense preparation by Coach Jonathan Newnham who was himself a successful junior golfer, and Coach Jason Lopez who has guided several junior teams to the CAJGC.