ZANDRE Roye and Ryan Lue departed the island on Sunday for Argentina, where they will represent Jamaica in golf at the 10th Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC) from Thursday January 16 to 19 at Pilar Golf Club in Buenas Aires.

This is Roye’s second time at the hampionship while Lue will be making his debut. Both golfers were happy for the opportunity to represent the country at the championship and put on a good show.

Roye is the reigning national golf champion while Lue is one the country’s best junior golfers. They are both familiar with representing Jamaica beyond our shores and will take that experience into the championship.

Roye’s best world ranking is 487, and that is built on his four event wins in 2024 along with the results from his other events. Lue, on the other hand, is further back at 1,234 and has had two wins during the period under review.

They will first be challenged to make the cut after the first two days, and then see where they end on the leader board. Jamaica’s best placement at the championship is 24th by Ian Facey back in 2015.

There are 28 countries and over 100 golfers in the championship this year. The list includes some familiar competitors such as Barbados, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, the Cayman Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago. They will also meet last year’s runner-up, Omar Morales of Mexico, who is aiming to win the championship for the first time.

Jodi Munn-Barrow, president of Jamaica Golf Association, said she was proud of the two-man team selected to represent Jamaica this year at the championship.

“[I am] very proud to know that both Zandre Roye and Ryan Lue have qualified for the Latin America Amateur Championship in Argentina. I know that both boys have been preparing well for the event and they will give it their best efforts, and I am hopeful that both of them will make it to the weekend and finish out with strong golf — and, of course, making Jamaica proud,” said Munn-Barrow.