By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

While Maddison Carroll repeated as the female national champion, Lynford Miller became the first president of the Bahamas Golf Federation to win the male national title.

The pair emerged on top of the final standings yesterday as the BGF concluded its 2025 National Amateur Golf Championships at the Lyford Cay Golf Club.

The event started at the Royal Blue Golf Club on Friday, Ocean Club on Paradise Island on Saturday and continued at the Royal Blue Golf Club on Saturday before the climax took place yesterday.

For Miller, it was a pair of firsts that he always wondered if it could and would happen until he finally achieved it, dethroning Richard Gibson Jr.

“It’s really exciting,” Miller said. “The field was strong. I was expecting a little more competition from Richard Gibson, who did very well over the past few years.

“He said he wasn’t at his best this time, so I was able to capture the crown. So going into the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships this week in Barbados, it’s a good feeling.”

Miller will be a part of the team that includes Gibson Jr, as they head to Barbados today and will begin competition on Wednesday through Friday before returning home on Saturday. 

The team, coached by Richard Gibson Sr, will also include Nolan Johnson, Alex Dupuch and Alexander Roland and, on the female side, Carroll, along with Hailey Hall, Marinda Tucker and Chamari Pratt. 

Gibson Jr said despite losing his title, he felt it was good that Miller took it away from him.

“I’m not disappointed. I had a different goal in mind and Lynford knew what my goal was for this tournament,” Gibson Jr said. “It’s always good if you win. Clearly you would have achieved your goal.

“But my goal wasn’t to win, although I wanted it. My goal was to make sure that I finished in the top five, so I’m pleased with that. But I’m glad that Lynford won.”

Carroll, however, made sure that she claimed her second straight female national title. She’s only 14 years old, but as she prepares to enter the 10th  grade at an online school, she just hopes she can continue to get better.

“I started off today with some bogeys, but I turned it around with the last few holes on the front nine,” she said. “On the back, I just kept focused because I knew I had it again.

“I felt my performance was great. I stayed steady and I didn’t overthink my shots. I felt great playing with my competitors, including my cousin Haley Hall and some of the other girls in my academy.”

Hall shot 242 for second place and Chamari Pratt was the third place finisher with 247. Seannae Norville-Smith was fourth with 255 and Kayleigh Rolle completed the top five with 259.

Quintin Gibson, securities advisor at RF Bank and Trust, said they were pleased with their investment in the BGF.

“It was amazing. We enjoyed it, We had a great vibe and great people. We look forward to doing it again next year,” he stated. 

Gina Gonzalez-Rolle, the tournament director, said they were pleased with the outcome. “It was good to see our juniors play so well,” she said. “Camdyn was tied in his category and Maddison was our overall female winner, so we were pleased with all of their performances. 

“We felt the tournament on the whole was a good one. We had a good amount of players competing and after the weather got us down, everyone was happy with the change in the different courses. We were happy with everything.”