Strong men's field for Trials

Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - Sport

Lyn and Smith

THE 1999 National Trials to select a team to represent Jamaica at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships would have been more appropriately named National Trials and Errors.

After four rounds around the Caymanas Golf and Country Club's course, only three players were able to meet the Jamaica Golf Association's less than stringent (JGA) qualification standards: national champions John Smith and Maggie Lyn in the men's and women's sections and Senior Dennis Atkinson.

The rest fell by the wayside thanks to flukey breezes, tough pin placements and simply poor golf.

Either the majority of the island's top amateurs just had a bad four days last July or there is a dearth of true talent in Jamaica.

Today, the best hackers in the land (who don't play for money) get the chance to atone for last year's display when the 2000 Trials tee off at the scene of the 1999 crime.

A vastly improved performance is expected from the potential Hoerman Cuppers (Men) due to the fact it is the strongest field assembled here in quite some time.

The indomitable Smith and fellow Cup teammates Owen Samuda and Mike Gleichman will be pushed to keep their places on the six-man side by a strong overseas-based contingent led by Johnny Bloomfield, Jason Lopez and Jason Garbutt (the Jasons also made the team last year) and unpredictable locals Gifford Wilmot, Radcliffe Knibbs, Michael Scott and Greg Wright.

Hopes are not so high, however, in the Women's and Seniors sections.

Should Jodi Munn, Leiza Blakeley or Darnley Thomas strike form, Lyn could have a battle on her hands over the final two days when the Trials merge into the Smirnoff 36 tournament but there are few others who could maintain a challenge over four days.

Michiko Asonuma is improving and could be a darkhorse for a berth on the George Teale Trophy team while youngsters Ava Lee and Martina MooYoung still appear some way from reaching their full potential and making the three-woman side.

The men's Seniors section was arguably the strongest grouping in the island not so long ago but, while it remains keenly contested, the scores are rising and the JGA decided to not even send a three-man Francis and Steale Perkins Trophy team to Turks and Caicos last year.

National champion Francis Delgado, Atkinson, Hamar Dayes, Fred Sutherland, Cleo Taylor and Tony Gooden will be aiming to make the cut this time around.

The Higgs and Higgs Superseniors team should comprise two of: Ossie Lee, Sydney Fletcher, George Dawkins or Lindy Delapenha by Sunday evening.

The automatic qualification marks remain the same as last year: Men - 300. Women - 312. Seniors - 308. Superseniors - 316.

First-round tees off this morning at 9:30.