Martina Moo Young
JAMAICA'S leading junior golfers will match their skills against their regional counterparts when the 13th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship (CAJGC) tees off this morning at the Caymanas Golf and Country Club.
Jamaica have never won the events overall title but there is reason for cautious optimism this year with national junior coach Chris Harries having put the squad through extensive training sessions over the hilly Caymanas course.
"I don't think we could have done any more to prepare the team," Harries said as the players negotiated the course during yesterday's practice round before the 54-hole event.
"Now I just hope they don't suffer too badly from first-day nerves," he said. "We have had team meetings each evening this past week and I have stressed that if they play a bad shot to put it behind them and think of the next shot. Always think of the next shot."
The Jamaica team will be spearheaded by Ava Lee (Girls 16-18), a seasoned CAJGC performer, and Martina MooYoung (Girls 13-15) who put in a stellar display during the National Trials last month and earned a berth on the George Teale Trophy team for next month's Caribbean senior championships in Barbados.
Harries also expects strong performances from the Under-13s who are "very strong". Jamaica will be represented in that (12 and under section) by Phillip Beck, Craig Hendrickson, fast-improving Tiffany Terrier and Shannon Dickson.
The tournament is played in three age groups and the host side comprises: Boys 16-18: Xavier Rose and Damian Spencer. Girls 16-18: Lee and Lasandra Brown. Boys 13-15: Dustin Chong and Christopher Bailey. Girls 13-15: MooYoung and Lindsey Chang. Boys 12 and under: Beck and Hendrickson. Girls 12 and under: Terrier and Dickson.
Despite the optimism in the Jamaica camp, defending champions Trinidad and Tobago and nine-time overall champs Puerto Rico are the pre-tournament favourites.
"I expect them to be the teams to beat," Harries said. "However, each country has a number of good players and some we just don't know about yet."
Unlike its senior counterpart, the CAJGC also includes an individual event and a number of Jamaicans will take part in that section including Everal Bailey, Gerard Fontaine, Jason Hall, Stacey Houslin (16-18), Devon Raymond, Gillian Levy (13-15), Adrian Bradford and Amanda MooYoung (12 and under).
The competing teams are: Jamaica, Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, OECS, Trinidad and Tobago and the US Virgin Islands.
The first of the more than 120 competitors will tee of this morning at 7:00.
By Tym Glaser,Associate Editor Sport
