By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

JAMAICA hoisted the Ambrose Gouthro Cup trophy for the fourth consecutive time at the Caribbean Golf Association’s (CGA) Four-Ball Championship yesterday at the Royal Blue Golf Club, Baha Mar.

The team ended the three-day event with a total of 66 points.The host country, The Bahamas, finished in second with 52 points and Trinidad and Tobago wrapped up the golf championships in third with 47 points.

Nine countries competed in the event over this week.

Gina Gonzalez-Rolle, chair of the junior division of the Bahamas Golf Federation, talked about the success of the country’s inaugural hosting of this particular championship.

“It was a fantastic event and Jamaica won again for the fourth straight time, The Bahamas came second but we were pleased to say that the weather was good, the course was beautiful and everyone had a wonderful time and felt that golf in The Bahamas is truly what so many people have been looking for, golf is truly better in The Bahamas,” she said.

The Caribbean countries competed in three rounds across the men and women’s divisions from October 17-19.

The ladies competed in the 25-plus and 45-plus categories. Violet Roopchand and Ingrid Seeberan, of Trinidad and Tobago, won the 45- plus division with a total gross of 253.

Rosena Smith and Nathalie Tynes, of The Bahamas, followed behind with a total gross of 289 after three rounds of golf.

Jamaica narrowly snuck away with a win in the 25-plus category. The team of Lisa Gardner and Jodi Munn Barrow prevailed over the field with a total gross of 234.

The team of Christina Ferreira came second with 237 for Trinidad and Tobago.

Meanwhile, the host country’s Valron Grimes and Kyshna Radnetter finished third with a total gross of 278.

The men competed in four categories, including the mid-amateur men, senior men, super senior men and men 70 plus.

The Bahamas led the mid-amateur men with a total gross of 208. The team included Bahamas Golf Federation president Lynford Miller and Peter Mcintosh.

Jamaica’s Sean Morris and Dave Cameron were right in the fold, amassing a total gross of 210.

Overall third place finisher, Trinidad and Tobago, ended third in the division with a 215 total gross.

Jamaica earned bragging rights for the senior men. The duo of Owen Samuda and Dr Mark Newnham notched a total gross of 205.

Wayne Baptiste and Richard Camacho, of Trinidad and Tobago, came second and the Cayman Islands ended in third. The Bahamas concluded this category with a fifth and ninth place finish.

However, the host team claimed the super senior men’s division.

Decorated golfers Raymond Gibson and Horace Miller ended with a total gross of 215. Jamaica came second and the Cayman Islands once again secured third.

Jamaica emerged victorious in the 70 plus division. Carlysle Hudson and Dorrel Allen put a total gross of 217 on the score sheet.

The Turks & and Caicos Islands’ Rick Sanmiya and Jack Sims placed second and Oswald Moore and Max Quant brought home third place for The Bahamas.

Georgette Rolle, owner of Fourteen Clubs Golf Academy, was pleased with the level of competition and camaraderie displayed between the Caribbean teams.

“A lot of these players have been competing against each other in various championships over the years. It is not just a coming together of the various players from different countries, but friends coming together. The camaraderie is still there even at this high level of competition.

“We saw some really low scores this week with the four-ball teams and we can only hope that we continue to see that level of scoring which shows the growth of the competitive level of golf throughout the Caribbean,” she said.

Next up for golf in The Bahamas will be a Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture golf tournament at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex golf course on November 4.