ROCCO Lopez and Mattea Issa are the early leaders in Jamaica Golf Association’s National Senior Trials, which began on Friday at Half Moon Golf Course in St James.

Lopez ended the first round on even par 72 after being on one under par up to the 17th hole but bogeying the 18th hole. His scorecard showed three birdies on holes five, 12 and 16 but they were cancelled out by the three bogeys on holes number one, three and 18.

Former national golf champions Zandre Roye (the current champion), William Knibbs (2023), and Oshae Haye (2022) all shot four over par 76 for a three-way tie for second place.

Roye held the lead at the 13th-hole mark with a two under par score but had a wretched time on the course after that, after sending down four bogeys and a double bogey. Overall he shot four birdies, six bogeys, and a double bogey for the round.

Knibbs, who has been away from the local golf scene for a while, sent down six bogeys in the round — including bogeys on holes 17 and 18 — but had two birdies in the back nine on holes 10 and 12.

Haye’s scorecard showed four bogeys and a double bogey but his two birdies on holes 11 and 12 helped him to share the second spot.

Many-time national representative Owen Samuda was one stroke back in fifth place on five over par 77.

Issa, fresh from her first national female golf champion title, leads the female section of the national trials by five clear strokes. Issa closed the first round on four over par 76, after recovering from a rough start bogeying holes number one and two. She followed up with birdies on hole number seven but got into trouble again with bogeys on holes nine and 16, plus a double bogey on hole number 11. She did get a reprieve with a birdie on 15.

Mayne returned for the trials after coming off a successful college season in the United States where she helped her university to win the national collegiate championship. She had a torrid time on the course, sending down 10 bogeys and a birdie for a first-round score of nine over par 81. She topped the national trials in 2022 at the same venue so she expected to improve in the second and third rounds.

The golfers are to tee off at 10:00 am on Saturday as they seek to improve their scores and positions in order to gain a spot on the national team to represent Jamaica at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships in July.