National junior coach Newnham proud of fighting spirit at CAJGC

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO:

Despite not having a full complement of players to compete for the Hank James team title, Jamaica’s coach Jonathan Newnham was proud of his charges fighting effort at the just-concluded Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship (CAJGC), which culminated recently at the Grand Reserve Golf Club in Puerto Rico.

Jamaica’s nine-member team ended fourth in the team category after amassing 100 points, behind eventual winners and hosts Puerto Rico, who ended the three-day tournament with 162 points.

Another Spanish-speaking nation, Dominica Republic, claimed second place following a team total of 126 points, while The Bahamas claimed third with 124.

Newnham was particularly pleased with the females, with Mattea Issa claiming the 18 and under title, and teammate Kingston Burke tying for third place in the category.

Alessandra Coe also walked away with silverware for Jamaica as she claimed third place in the 11-13 flight.

“It was great to see Mattea in her final year as a junior claiming the title, which I know she was gunning for. Kingston showed her determination and in the end pulled through to be tied for third, and Ali (Coe) has shown her consistency by claiming back-to-back third-place finishes,” Newnham said.

The boys had a torrid time over the three days, with Jamaica only able to field one competitor in the boys’ 18 and under and the 11-13 category.

National champion Ryan Lue finished a disappointing 15th out of 19 competitors in the 18 and under category, while Kemari Morris missed out on a third-place finish, as he carded a 16-over-par 232 in the boys’ 15 and under flight, behind eventual winner Fernando Leduc of Puerto Rico, who won with a score of four-over-par 220.

Cameron Coe had to settle for 15th place in the flight, following his 48-over-par 264, while Shasa Redlefsen ended in seventh place in the 11-13 flight following his 25-over-par 241.

With some nations such as hosts Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, Barbados having as many as four players in each flight, Newnham believes much work is needed to build the national team up to a sustainable, long-term level for competitive success at the championship.

“As we debrief, we will look at what we can continue to do to develop the long-term programme and not just for these championships, but to develop a proper structure to ensure that there is longevity and that we can consistently compete for the top trophies,” he said.