Team Bahamas member Peter McIntosh tees off on the first day of competition of the 60th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships at the Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island. McIntosh shot an 8-over-par 80 in round one. (Photo: Ahvia J. Campbell)
After day one of competition of the 60th Annual Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships at the 18-hole, par-72 Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island right here in The Bahamas, the host country finds itself in sixth place in the race for the George Teale Cup and in seventh for the battle of the Hoerman Cup.
The two best scores go through in the George Teale division, and among The Bahamas ladies team of Captain Taneka Sandiford, Inecia Rolle, Sheridan Robinson and Marlique Hield, it was the duo of Rolle and Robinson who had the best performances.
Rolle shot an 8-over-par 80, and Robinson turned in a 14-over-par 86 to give The Bahamas a one-day total of 22-over-par 166 after round one of competition. Hield shot a 15-over-par 87, and Sandiford struggled with a 16-over-par 88.
"I felt like I could have done a little better today but I'm not upset," said 21-year-old Sheridan Robinson who resides in Houston, Texas, USA.
"This is just the first day, and now that it's out of the way, I could look forward to doing better the next three days. There are some things that we need to work on, but like I said, this is just the first day and we will play better. Personally, I just need to work on a few iron shots and my putting as well. It's all about performing better the next time out."
Puerto Rico leads with a 1-over-par 145 as it got top scores of a 1-under-par 71 and a 2-over-par 74 from the duo of Maria Torres and Valeria Pacheco respectively. The U.S. Virgin Islands is in second place with an 11-over-par 155. Their top players, Amira Alexander and Jennifer Prendergast, had scores of 2-under-par 70 and a 13-over-par 85 respectively.
Team Captain Sandiford said that she didn't like the way she played on Tuesday, but she's happy that her teammates stepped up. She's hoping The Bahamas could improve on its sixth place standing.
"It's a team sport. They didn't play as well as they could have but they picked me up because I didn't play that well, so I was happy about that," she said.
"To have this tournament here at home is amazing. There is nothing like being at home. Seeing friends and family out there who you haven't seen that much, and who haven't seen you play, is a good feeling. I'm happy they are getting to see what I do. Golf has been my life for the past 10 years, and they're now appreciating that. It's good to be able to educate them about golf without saying anything."
The Dominican Republic (DR) currently sits in third place in the George Teale division with a 16-over-par 160 after the first day of competition. Yae Eun Kim shot a 7-over-par 79, and Karina Sanchez had a 9-over-par 81 for the DR. Jamaica is fourth with a 15-over-par 159. Their top player Tiana Cruz shot a 5-over-par 77. Madelyn Piccininni and Kei Harris both shot 10-over-par 82.
Trinidad & Tobago sits in the fifth spot with a 19-over-par 163. Ysabelle Lawrence shot a 7-over-par 79 for them, and Christina Ferreira turned in a 12-over-par 84. The Bahamas is sixth behind the performances of Rolle and Robinson, and Barbados brings up the rear in seventh with a 28-over-par 172. Leiza Munn-Blakeley shot an 11-over-par 83 for them, and Alyssa Inniss-Gittens dropped in a 17-over-par 89.
In the men's Hoerman Cup division, the top four scores count toward the day's total.
Making up The Bahamas' total of 24-over-par 312 is the quartet of DeVaughn Robinson, Richard Gibson, Peter McIntosh and Steven Kemp. Robinson shot a 1-over-par 73, Gibson had a 7-over-par 79, McIntosh turned in a 8-over-par 80, and Kemp matched that with a 8-over-par 80. The other two members of Team Bahamas, Horace Miller and George Swann, had scores of 9-over-par 81 and 17-over-par 89 respectively.
"I'm okay. I haven't shot myself out of the tournament, and that's all I could ask for. It could be better, but it could be worse as well, so I'm satisfied," said 27-year-old DeVaughn Robinson who also resides in Houston.
"I need to do a lot of work with my putting. I hit the ball pretty good today, with the exception of one hole, but I just couldn't get any putts to fall. I definitely need to put in some work on the greens. I'm expecting myself to get progressively better as the tournament goes on, so if I shoot a 61 tomorrow (today) I expect to shoot a 60 the following day. It's all about getting better each day."
Puerto Rico is already five shots ahead of its nearest competitor in the Hoerman Cup division. They lead the way with a 5-under-par 283. The DR is second with an even par 288, Trinidad & Tobago is third with a 2-over-par 290, Jamaica is fourth with a 16-over-par 304, the Cayman Islands is fifth with a 19-over-par 307, the U.S. Virgin Islands follows in sixth with a combined 21-over-par 309, and The Bahamas is seventh.
Once again, Barbados brings up the rear, shooting a combined 28-over-par 316. Puerto Rico leads the way for the Arthur Ziadie Cup, given to the tournament's overall winner, with 17 total points. The Bahamas is sixth overall with four total points.
The four-day tournament will wrap up on Friday.
The regional golf classic is sponsored this year by Bahamas Waste Ltd., Coca-Cola, Family Guardian, FirstCaribbean Bank International and J.S. Johnson Insurance Co. Ltd.
Sheldon Longley, Guardian Sports Editor
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