TT Open Golf tourney to feature both islands for the first time

FOR the first time in its 117-year history, the Trinidad and Tobago Open Golf Tournament will be featured in both Trinidad and Tobago.

Also, for the first time in nine years women will be added to the tournament.

With just over 200 participants registered for this year's edition, the tournament will tee off on March 14 at the Plantations Golf Course at the Magdalena Golf and Beach Resort in Tobago.

President of the TT Golf Association (TTGA) Wayne Baptiste said 24 women will participate in this year's tournament (in Tobago) with half of them being local.

"The other 50 per cent will be from Canada, Barbados, Jamaica and other Caribbean islands."

Baptiste said the super seniors (60 years and over), masters (70 years and over) and third flight (players who are now starting golf) competitions will also take place in Tobago.

"Our motto going forward is 'Golf for All.' We are now having all the players who can actually play golf be able to participate in the TT Open."

After the Tobago leg, the tournament will move to St Andrews Golf Club in Maraval from March 18.

"On the 18th, we will be hosting a 2 ball better ball event where the profits will go towards children with disabilities to play golf."

Chairman of Special Olympics TT David Benjamin said, within the last year the organisation has been partnering with the TTGA.

"That journey saw us introduce golf as the 15th sport in Special Olympics TT. We started with a training workshop, where we trained 15 coaches who are now certified to coach people with intellectual and physical disabilities in golf.

"We will be using SNAG Golf – a first touch programme designed to teach the game to all ages and abilities – to introduce the sport to the children."

Benjamin said the overall goal is to field "at minimum" two players at the next Special Olympic World Games in Chile in 2027.

"Once we have the skill level at the appropriate trajectory, I'm sure we'll have a larger quota.

"The sky is the limit with golf where people with intellectual disabilities are concerned."

The professional, championship, senior (50 and over), first and second-flight players will then square off.

"Over 130 players have registered for Trinidad. There will be 16 countries also participating in this tournament from Guyana, Suriname, Antigua, Columbia, Puerto Rico, St Lucia, St Kitts, St Vincent, Bermuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Jamaica, Canada, US, the UK and TT."

Top players from TT such as Ben Martin, Anthony Gill and Christopher Richards Snr will participate in this years tournament in the professional category.

"There are four to five professionals coming from Jamaica, three from the US, one from Bermuda and two from Puerto Rico who are ranked in the top 500 players in the world. We have a total of 12-15 professionals thus far."

Reigning champion Zandre Roye is set to defend his crown. Last year, he led from start to finish as he became the first Jamaican golfer to win the TT Open Golf title. Roye had a nine-stroke win to see off the 27-man field.

Baptiste said the purse for the professionals this year is US$25,000, with the winner set to receive US$10,000.

He also spoke on the President's Cup – a sub-tournament within the TT Open Golf Tournament – which sees the best two players from each country play against each other.

Baptiste thanked the many sponsors of the tournament for their support, particularly the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) which has been at the forefront for the last ten years.

He hopes this tournament helps with the development of both men and women golfers in TT.

"When our local golfers compete against international players, it helps raise their game and standard.

"They play much better after a few of these events. When they play in international tournaments they can withstand the pressure of those events."