KINGSTON, Jamaica — With confidence, camaraderie, and Caribbean pleasure in tow, Jamaica’s junior golf contingent is ready to tee off on the thirty seventh Caribbean Novice Junior Golf Championship (CAJGC), slated for July 28 to August 1 on the prestigious Grand Reserve Golf Membership in Río Grande, Puerto Rico.
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On the forefront of the island’s marketing campaign are two seasoned leaders — Ryan Lue and Mattea Issa — who will anchor a various and decided Jamaican workforce desperate to make their mark on the area’s premier junior golf stage.
Veterans on the helm, rookies within the ranks
Lue, competing within the boys’ 18 & beneath class, and Issa, representing the women’ 18 & beneath, carry a wealth of regional and worldwide expertise. Their management will probably be important not solely in chasing particular person honors however in mentoring the workforce’s youthful gamers, a few of whom will probably be tackling worldwide greens for the primary time.
Nationwide coach Jonathan Newnham, who has been diligently making ready the squad, believes this mixture of veterans and debutants offers Jamaica a well-rounded edge.
“We’ve been working arduous to get the gamers tournament-ready,” stated Newnham. “This yr, we have now steadiness of expertise and contemporary expertise. I’ll be counting on Ryan and Mattea to assist the youthful gamers adapt shortly to what is likely to be an unfamiliar course. The workforce is hungry, and I’m optimistic they’ll give a powerful account of themselves.”
Chasing regional glory: Hank James and age group titles in sight
The championship — which options the Caribbean’s most promising younger golfers — additionally carries with it the distinguished Hank James Trophy, awarded to the top-performing nation. Host Puerto Rico, a perennial powerhouse, will probably be a formidable opponent, however Staff Jamaica is setting its sights excessive.
Jamaica’s finest workforce end on the CAJGC got here in 2018 at residence on the Caymanas Golf Membership course, and once more in 2019 in Nassau, Bahamas, the place the workforce positioned second total. The present workforce is keen to match — or surpass — these performances.
Full workforce roster: Boys’ 18 & Beneath: Ryan Lue; Women’ 18 & Beneath: Mattea Issa, Kingston Burke; Boys’ 15 & Beneath: Kemari Morris, Cameron Coe; Women’ 15 & Beneath: Mallaina Williams (debut); Boys’ 13 & Beneath: Shasa Redlefsen; Women’ 13 & Beneath: Alessandra Coe, Francesca Black.
This line-up displays a mix of examined event gamers and enthusiastic newcomers able to swing into rivalry on international fairways.
Backing the birdies: Sponsors rally behind Staff Jamaica
Assist from company Jamaica has been sturdy. The workforce is backed by a slate of beneficiant sponsors, together with the Sandals Basis, BCIC, Fleetwood, Tile Metropolis/Kohler, S Resort, and others. Their mixed contributions, together with proceeds from June’s Pinball Golf Match, a key annual fundraiser for junior golf, are serving to to make sure the workforce travels well-equipped and well-supported.
Because the championship approaches, the workforce is targeted, motivated, and decided to hold the black, inexperienced, and gold with pleasure. With Lue and Issa main the cost, and with the mentorship of coach Newnham, Jamaica’s junior golfers are primed to swing massive and dream even larger.
“We’re not simply going to compete,” stated Newnham. “We’re going to contend.”
