By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

COMMITTEE chairperson Gina Gonzalez-Rolle said if yesterday’s participation in the Bahamas Junior Golf Association’s fourth annual National High School Golf Tournament was any indication, they should have an interesting week of competition at the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Driving Range.

The championships, powered by Capital Union Bank, will continue with the Lower and Upper primary boys and girls, starting at 8am today and Wednesday before the final day of competition on Thursday. And, for the first time, they have fielded all four teams in the junior and senior divisions and they already clinched both the junior boys and girls titles. “The day went really well. Everyone went out and performed. The weather was really nice, The sun was shining and thank God we didn’t have any rain,” Gonzalez-Rolle said.

“The kids were really excited and we look forward to the rest of the week to see who will be overall winners from the various schools.”

One of those schools who performed on day one was Windsor High Academy. Coach Katie Roach said their team did exactly what they were supposed to do.

“We just wanted to have a positive mindset, play our best golf and just represent our school to the best of our abilities,” Roach said. “This is our first year entering a senior girls’ team and with the senior boys, we are looking for some great things from them.

“The competition was just amazing. I was talking to Georgette Rolle-Harris and we both agree that the competition has improved tremendously. We have seen the standard of golf raised and so it’s only upward for the future.”

The Queen’s College Comets are also back and they performed exceptionally well, according to Rico Seymour, one of the coaches.

“We had some very good showings in the championship today,” he said. “You could see where we have improved every year, so our numbers are looking good.

“Over the past three months, the kids have been coming out to the course, getting to know it and get- ting used to it, so it’s no joke today for our team. We just put on a good showing.”

With the primary schools now getting ready to strut their self, Seymour warned the rest of the schools that the Comets are here and just like they battled it out at the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships last week, they intend to do the same in golf.

This was the first year that St Augustine’s College broke ranks and have entered the tournament. Head coach Daria Adderley said it was a good feeling to finally get the Big Red Machine rolling in another sport.

“Today was really an eye opener for them,” she pointed out. “We competed against players who have been competing in golf for a while but, in the five weeks that we have been working with Georgette Rolle-Harris, I think we did very well.”

With a 21-member team participating, Adderley said SAC can only get better as they continue in the programme.

With the help of some of their alumnus who play golf, she said the Big Red Machine will eventually become a force to reckon with like they do in the other sporting disciplines.

She thanked principal Maricia Thompson for allowing the team to participate.

Some of the players from some of the participating schools, after reviewing their individual scores, felt they did their best.

Madison Maddison Carroll, a 13-year-old seventh grader at Tambearly International School, shot a 30, which placed her second overall in a playoff against Anissa Robinson in the junior girls division.

“I felt my performance was much better than last year.

“But I felt that there were a lot of emotions in the playoffs and I just didn’t read the putts as I should,” she said.

“The competition has gotten better, but there’s more work to be done. I’m still improving bit by bit.”

Anissa Robinson, a 13-year-old eight grader at Bahamas Global Academy, was third in the junior girls’ division by one shot.

“I could have done better but I actually felt like I performed better because last year I shot a 38 and I got sixth place,” she said.

“Today, I was one shot away from the playoffs, but my friend, Madison, shot a 30, to beat me. She played very good.”

Zachary Joseph, a 13-year-old eight grader at Bahamas Global Academy, shot a 31 for third place in the junior boys’ division.

“It was not great, but I would say it was decent,” Joseph said.

“I could have shot better. My approach shot wasn’t too good today.”

Senior girls’ Nailah Morgan, a 14-year-old 10th grader at St Augustine’s College, said for a first timer participating in any sporting activities for the Big Red Machine, it was nerve racking for her.

“It was tiring walking up and down the course. It was fun, but it was a different experience for me and the sun was hot,” she stated.

“I’m new to all of this. I hope I can continue.

“The competition was good.”