Andrew Arft of the USA will start the defence of his Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) Open when the 57th staging of the three-day 54 holes championships gets under way at Tryall Club this morning with the first group teeing off at 8:00 am.

Sixty-seven golfers will be chasing the first prize trophy and US$20,000 (over $3 million) which will be handed out on Tuesday afternoon and the expectations are for another close run competition this year.

Arft shot a seven under par 209 score last year as the top-six finishers were separated by four shots and with five of that top 10 returning, the fans that turn out will be in for a treat over the three days.

After playing in yesterday’s Pro-Am opener, Arft said the heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Rafael days before could help.

“It felt comfortable on the tee shots,” he said. “It is going to be windy and the course is wet compared to last year when it was a little firmer, so it’s a give and take thing. The course will play a little easier because balls won’t bounce everywhere, but then again, you won’t get as much roll in the fairway. So, you’ll have a little bit longer shots in, but less balls will kind of bounce maybe in some weary spots that you don’t want, so it’s give and take. I think it’s going to play just as hard as it did last year, but in a different sense.”

Arft is scheduled to tee off at 10:40 am and has been paired with last year’s amateur champion Sean Morris and another amateur, Robert Sterling.

At Friday’s media briefing at Tryall Club, Organising Committee Chairman Peter Chin praised the Tryall staff, led by golf superintendent Ewan Peebles, for the great condition the course was in after the storm, which came a few months after a hurricane in early July.

“Despite the recent rains and inclement weather, the golf course is in tremendous condition, and we have to congratulate Ewan Peebles and the ground staff at Tryall for making this possible,” Chin said.

Peebles had also told the Sunday Observer they had been “working for months” to ensure the course was ready for the championships.

Also on Friday, JGA President Jody Munn-Barrow described the championships as, “a hallmark of excellence in the golfing community, the Jamaican Open holds a special place on our hearts and on our sporting calendar.”

“This event not only highlights individual scale, but also underscores the vital role of golf tourism in our economy. Globally, golf tourism is a thriving industry valued at over US$20 billion annually and it plays a significant role in job creation.

In Jamaica, the golf sector provides a unique advantage compared to other sports, as it supports a wide range of employment opportunities, from course maintenance, staff, and groundskeepers, to hospitality roles in hotels and restaurants.

“The nature of golf with its need for well-maintained courses and extensive support services, means that it creates more direct and indirect jobs than many other sports. For instance, while other sports may rely heavily on event specific roles, golf requires ongoing staff the year round. This leads to a more stable and sustained employment landscape for those working in the industry.

It is estimated that thousands of Jamaicans find employment directly and indirectly through the golfing sector, which includes positions such as caddies, course maintenance, courts, coaches, club managers, and event coordinators.”