Upbeat Jamaica Team Departs for 65th CAGC in Turks & Caicos

An upbeat Jamaica team of young golfers departed the island on Monday for the 65th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship in the Turks & Caicos between August 3 to five.

The male team members who left the island on Monday are Justin Burrowes – male captain, William Knibbs, Rocco Lopez, Aman Dhiman and fifteen-year old debutante Ryan Lue.  Owen Samuda will join the team on location for the three-round competition.

Burrowes said that the team had been preparing very well for the championship.  “I think we have a good team.  We have a very young team which we haven’t had for as long as I have been on the Hoerman Cup team.  I feel like that youth and that fitness will play to our benefit.  If we just go out and just focus on what we can control we should at least contend and that’s all we can ask for.”

Debutante Lue was rearing to play “can’t wait to play in Turks and in the Hoerman Cup”, he said.

The three female team members who also departed yesterday are  Emily Mayne – the female captain, fifteen-year old Mattea Issa and Winmi Lau.  The other female representative, Cameron March will join the team in the Turks & Caicos.  This will be March’s first time representing Jamaica.  She and Samuda are based in the USA.

Mayne said “I played in the junior tournament and I played well so I am hoping to once again perform especially for the senior team which is kinda of a bigger deal and we want to come home with the trophy.”

Jamaica came a close second in 2021 in their attempt to take home the Hoerman Cup for the first time.  Their second place was their best placement in the competition to date.

The female team came fourth last year with an reduced team but will have the full complement of four players this year and will be trying win the George Teale Trophy for the first time as well.

Dr. Mark Newnham who went as a player last year will be the manager this time around.  He was upbeat about the team’s chances to do well this year.  “These youngsters have been training hard for the Caribbean Championships – both the junior and now the senior and now we are just looking forward to the upcoming week.  We are looking forward to is just getting enough points in each division on each day so that overall we can bring home not only those divisional titles but the overall title as well.”

Many time national representative Jodi Munn-Barrow, president of the Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) and the secretary of the Caribben Golf Association travelled with the team will not compete for Jamaica this time as she will be carrying out several administrative duties at the championship.

She said that she was looking for some good performances from the team this year.  “I am very happy to be going with my team.  We have a very strong team in both the men and the lady’s sections this year so we are looking forward to great golf and some good scores.”  She thinks that Jamaica can challenge for the trophies for the male and female teams as well as the overall team trophy which is name after the late Turo Ziadie (he passed earlier this year) who was a former JGA president and featured prominently at the Caribbean level.