Tryall ready for 58th staging of Jamaica Open

HANOVER, Jamaica

Despite the rain that the island has endured over the past couple of weeks, the fairways are lush, the greens are rolling, and the stage is set for the 58th staging of the Jamaica Open at the Tryall Club here, starting today with the Pro-Am event.

The prestigious tournament returns to the par-72 championship course this week after a one-year hiatus forced by the devastating Hurricane Melissa.

Director of Golf Ewan Peebles expressed his enthusiasm for the tournament’s comeback, noting that the course has rebounded impressively from the adversity.

“Yeah, excited to have the event back. We missed it last year due to Hurricane Melissa,” Peebles said. “The golf course is looking good. We’ve had a wet fall, so the golf course is green; it’s lush. It’s maybe a little softer than we would ideally like, but the Tryall Club is always a magnificent test of tournament golf and championship golf.”

The history of the venue speaks for itself. Over the years, Tryall has hosted PGA, LPGA, and Senior PGA events, crowning champions of the calibre of Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Fred Couples, and Larry Mize.

However, the road to recovery was not without its obstacles.

Peebles revealed that over 500 trees were lost to Melissa’s wrath last year.

While the clean-up effort was massive, the resulting landscape has altered the course’s character slightly.

“We’ve bounced back nicely,” Peebles noted, “despite some holes opening up a bit and making the course more generous.”

Despite the changes, the director of golf warns that the course remains a formidable challenge where victory must be earned.

“This golf course will shine a light on the best player this week,” he said. “Anybody who wins a golf tournament here needs to earn it.”

Strategy will be paramount for the competitors. Peebles identified the opening stretch as the key to a low score, but warned that the championship is often decided on the treacherous closing holes.

“Players who do well will have to take advantage of the first 12 to 13 holes, which is the scoring stretch,” he advised. “But I have seen over the years players lose the championship on the last five holes. I have seen golfers 4, 5, 6 under par and haven’t managed to get it across the line and in the clubhouse. The championship will come down to how well you play the last four or five holes.”

The competition promises to be fierce. Defending champion Ben Martin of Trinidad is back. He will face stiff opposition from former winner Andrew Arft of the US and Justin Hastings of the Cayman Islands.

The home crowd will be firmly behind the local contingent, banking on Justin Burrowes, Romaine Evans, and Wesley Brown to fly the Jamaican flag.

Title sponsor Vybwear is also bringing significant energy to the event.

Company founder Scott Summy shared the brand’s deep connection to the island.

“I absolutely believe in golf in Jamaica,” Summy said. “The title sponsor this year, Vybwear, which is our company, was created and inspired by Jamaican golf and our time here at Tryall because of our house, the villa we have here at Aqua Bay. And that’s what inspired the brand. Now we’re going to use Vybwear as a way to basically share our brand with the rest of the world, which Jamaica and Jamaican golf inspire.”