The Year 2008 began with an overwhelming response to our Junior Golf Clinic on Friday afternoons with approximately 30 Junior golfers in attendance ranging in age from 7 years to 10 years old. Friday afternoon clinics will continue throughout the year coinciding with the school terms. The program now follows the Junior Golf program designed and endorsed by the Trinidad and Tobago Golf Association and allows junior golfers to progress from Beginners through Intermediate and onto Advanced training. Admittedly, the program is over subscribed and a policy has been developed by the Junior Committee to allow no more than 7 juniors per coach.
February saw the always anticipated BP Week of Golf opening with the Junior Pro Am. Thirty-four Juniors teamed up with International Professional golfers for the opening day’s two ball better ball challenge. Junior golfer Gabriel Lombard, a recent graduate to 18 hole golf and golf professional Mark King of Scotland won the tournament with a score of net 64 to edge out the duo of pro Chris Kelly and Junior Tori Baptiste by one shot.
The afternoon saw a new event, the Big Break Challenge Trini Style, with six teams consisting of T&Ts star juniors and six golf professionals. The teams competed in five events including Long Drive, Straight Drive, Over the Wall, Hit the Target and the addition of a new hole. The team sponsored by Scotia Bank of Junior golfer Matthew Marquez and professional Dean Robertson edged out Junior golfer Sirron Melville and professional Marina Marselli to take the inaugural prize.
Strive For Excellence – This has been an initiative of the TTGA. Selected Juniors meet regularly at SAGC and other clubs for training in specific areas such as physical training, sports psychology, short game, course management, rules of golf and course etiquette. The purpose behind this initiative is to prepare our Junior golfers for tournament play.
Toyota World Junior Qualifier – The world junior qualifier was held in Guatemala in April 2008. Trinidad and Tobago was among 4 teams that were selected to play in this regional qualifier. The other teams were Canada, Mexico and Guatermala. The T&T team consisted of Timothy Martin, Talin Rajendranath, Sirron Melville and Jordan Stephens. Unfortunately, the T&T team did not do as well as anticipated and placed 4th overall. The winning team was from the host country Guatamala who has now advanced along with the second place team Mexico to the finals in Japan later this year.
