Beacon Barbados Open teeing off
By Hallam Hope


It will easily be the most competitive Beacon Barbados Open Golf tournament ever.
Defending champion James Johnson heads the strongest and largest field in the history of the event when the first tee box drive is struck Friday morning.

Johnson will be aiming for his third title in a row on a familiar Royal Westmoreland
course, which is the most challenging on the island.

Trinidad and Tobago representatives Jasper Mitchum and Deryck Gonsalves and
Barbadians Carlsen Leacock and Julian Jordan are some of the record 150 players who
will be going after the title held by Johnson.

Jordan must have done his confidence the world of good with a 66 in national trials at the
tournament venue last weekend.

Kimesha Anthony of Antigua and Barbuda is returning with a view to a repeat victory in
the women’s edition of the Beacon Barbados Open.
And Caribbean Seniors champions Robert Piggott and Ricky Skeete will also be aiming to do well during the three days – Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Piggott and Skeete have qualified to represent Barbados again at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships being held in the Cayman Islands this August. They are going after a third successive win and the Open will be an important warm-up.

American Dan Venema is another player who strengthens the field.
Venema is  a member of the Bethune Cookman University Team which competes in the NCAA Division one golf championship. He recently finished third in the PGA Minority Golf Championship and maintained a scoring average of 73 during 2007 – 2008.

Locals fans will also be hoping that Barbadian collegiate representative Shawn Edey, who is also at Bethune Cockman, will be in grand form.

New or old faces apart the experienced Carlsen Leacock and James Johnson, one of the finest current Caribbean amateurs, are in very good form and will have a home advantage at the challenging Royal Westmoreland course where the windy conditions coming off the west coast and fast greens command respect from all who take it on.

Marcus Clarke, a Briton who is eligible to represent Barbados in the Hoerman Cup, shot  under part last weekend for the second time in national trials. The performances of Hoerman Cup players, Barbadians Scott Foster and Judd Cozier, will be among scores followed over the three days.