Team Bahamas did not give up hope and tried to recover quickly after losing Lucas Echeverri early in the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships (CAJGC) tournament.
Echeverri had to withdraw from the championships, taking place at the Guavaberry Golf and Country Club, in Dominican Republic, after falling ill on the first day of competition. Echeverri was set to compete in the boys 14-15. The regional event started on July 1 and concluded yesterday. The Bahamas Golf Federation (BGF) selected a nine-member team to represent The Bahamas at the championships.
Inecia Rolle was the highest placed player for The Bahamas. She maintained the third place ranking heading into the last day of competition. Rolle closed with 253, in the girls 11-13 division, after scoring 85 in the two opening rounds and 83 in the third round. Puerto Rico pulled off the one-two punch with Diana Velez winning and Valeria Pacheco placing second.
Velez had 224 and Pacheco had 234. Rolle was the sole Bahamian in that division.
In the boys 16-17 division, Harrison Collins moved one spot up the rankings, from 14 to 13, after closing with an aggregate total of 256. In the first round he closed with 90 and 82 in the second round. On Thursday, he produced 84 to knock Robert Boocock, of Trinidad and Tobago down to 14th. The division winner was Matthew Marquez from Trinidad and Tobago, who had a three-day total of 212.
The Bahamas was not represented in the girls 16-17 division. Over in the boys 14-15 division Asif Robinson had racked up 156 after two rounds in the championships. He was slotted in the seventh spot, up until the final round yesterday. The additional 83 shot, by him, was not enough so he finished ninth with 239. Teammate Brian Coakley improved from 15th overall to 12th. Trinidadian Wan Ju Lee is the division winner with 222.
Two Bahamians are in the girls 14-15 division, Asiya Robinson and Denier Weech ranked seventh and 10th respectively. The 10th and 11th spots in the boys 11-13 division were filled by Bahamians Ryan Coerbell and Enrique Valverde.
"They did very well, noting that Lucas Echeverri is not playing," said James Gomez, BGF president. "He had to withdraw because he fell ill on the opening day. So that has affected the overall team in a way. He is one of the top players, and him not playing would have had significant effect on the team."
Gomez and the executive members will select the members for the senior national team which is expected to compete in the Senior Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships. The team will be announced next weekend. The championships will swing into action August 6, and will continue until August 12 at the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club, in St. Kitts and Nevis.

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