Johnson leads Beacon Open golf
By Hallam Hope
Defending champion James Johnson made a solid start on the opening day of the 27th Beacon Insurance Barbados Open yesterday.
Johnson, shooting for a sixth Open title, led the Men’s Championship Flight with a three under par at the Barbados Golf Club course at Durrants.
He recovered from a triple bogie on hole number nine to shoot 33 on the back for a 69.
But trailing on his heels is the experienced Kittitian Trevor Levine, one shot adrift on 70.
U.K-based teenager, Gareth Thomas, who plays out of Rockley, had an excellent 73 to be third.
Johnson has reportedly not been playing a lot since representing Barbados at the World Cup of Golf in Barbados last December.
The former U.S Collegiate golfer however showed his class and set up a very exciting closing two days, the second also at Durrants and the final day, Sunday, at the Sandy Lane Country Club course.
Jaimie Hole, the defending women’s champion, held a one-stroke lead gong into the second day. She shot 82, one better than experienced Barbadian Helen Foster and 20-year-old Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) champion Kimeisha Anthony of Antigua and Barbuda.
Anthony said she was very disappointed with the play, especially her putting.
She was just one of several players who found the fast greens and windy conditions quite testing.
Mitchum Jasper, the Trinidad and Tobago Hoerman Cup player, also had a disappointing day with a 77, after going into the back nine in second place in his group with 35.
Carlsen Leacock shot 75 as did fellow Barbadian Michael Haynes.
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