Puerto Rico are the champions of the 24th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships which concluded under rainy conditions yesterday at the Barbados Golf Club.
Puerto Rico extended their lead to finish with 167 points, 34 more than Trinidad and Tobago.
The Dominican Republic were third with 123, The Bahamas fourth with 110 and hosts Barbados consolidated fifth place with 91.
Jamaica, who were tied with Barbados going into the final day on 63 points, were sixth with 88, followed by the United States Virgin Islands (40), the OECS (30) and Cayman Islands who failed to earn a single point over the three days of competition.
Puerto Rico showed their dominance in winning all but one age group.
Jose Rodriguez won the Boys’ 16 to 17 group by seven shots with a total of 220. His Puerto Rican teammates Jorge Gonzalez and Andrea Baez were among four players tied for second with 227.
Warren Bynoe was the highest placed Barbadian, joint seventh with 234 after shooting a six-over 78. James Pritchard (270) and Jaleel Marshall were 20th and 21st, respectively.
Barbadian Serena Smith saw the girls’ division slip from her grasp after shooting a 12-over 84 in the rainy conditions. She finished with 243 points, two behind first-day leader Paola Robles of Puerto Rico, who shot 81 yesterday. Maria Torres of Puerto Rico was third with 244.
In the Boys’ 14 to 15 age group, Daniel Caban led the Puerto Rico sweep with 222 after shooting 75 on the final day. Compatriots Frederick Thon (225) and Jose Cardona (228) were second and third, respectively.
Barbadian Donald Leacock was also third with 228, losing by nine shots after shooting 78. Che Cheeseman was 16th with 275, 23 shots ahead of Zakary Cobham, who was 20th. Â
Shannon Gibson, the lone Barbadian in the Girls’ 14 to 15 age group was ninth overall (285) behind three players tied for sixth place. Puerto Ricans Kristina Ortiz (238) and Yudika Rodriguez (249) took the top spots, with Trinidad’s Christina Ferreira third on 257.
Julian Estevez of the Dominican Republic shot a five-over 77 and finished with 227 points to win the Boys’ 11 to 13 age group, the only one not won by a Puerto Rican. Barbadians Spencer Smith (274) and Brian Leacock (298) were 10th and 11th, respectively.
Valeria Pacheco of Puerto Rico’s 255 gave her a 20-shot lead over compatriot Natalia Rivera to win the girls’ division, with Barbadian Tommi-Ann Grant ninth with a score of 304.
