The 26th. Beacon Barbados Open
Sunday June 28th.2009, Royal Westmoreland, St. James

FINAL DAY RESULTS

Johnson shows his mettle


By Hallam Hope


James Johnson showed why he is a top Caribbean amateur with a come-from-behind victory in the Beacon Barbados Open golf tournament Sunday.
Challenged in his back yard by talented 20-year-old Antiguan Omari James the more experienced Johnson might have appeared to be the one in a corner.

James’ 69 on the penultimate day at the challenging Royal Westmoreland course in  unfamiliar testing conditions had handed him a narrow one-stroke lead.

And Johnson had to pull off at least one remarkable putt and recover from his drive landing on a rocky surface at hole 16 which would have challenged any but the very best.

Although it went down to the wire bogies for James and pars for Johnson on the last two holed determined the outcome.

There would be no double Antiguan celebration as Johnson clinched his eighth Barbados Open and fourth Beacon Insurance-sponsored win by three strokes with a final round 67, (34 on the front, 33 on the back). Nick Voss was third.

James impressed many among the record 160 entries with scores of 72, 69, 71.
Johnson extended his preparation for the upcoming Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships in the Turks and Caicos Islands with 72, 71, 67.
“It was a very tight fight the whole day,” Johnson acknowledged. “Both Omari and I played fantastic golf.”

James said he struck the ball well over the three days but made some costly mistakes.
Johnson’s win denied the Antiguans a double. Although she failed to break par any day Kimesha Anthony cantered home by 17 shots to clinch a hat-trick of Beacon wins. Her scores were 72, 74, 76. “I was striking the ball better this year,” Anthony said. Lynn de Cambra McCleod was second with scores of 82, 77, 80 while Helen Foster finished third, one shot behind.

Ricky Skeete and Robert Piggott had what has become a traditional tussle between them in the Men’s Seniors flight with Piggott emerging champion with victory on the countback after trailing Skeete by four shots going into the final day. Terry Hanton was third.

Birchmore Griffith pulled off his most outstanding achievement with a come-from-behind win in the Men’s Super Seniors division where he stopped Monty Chapman with a superb 77 (35, 42) on the last day to get home by two strokes. John Phillips won an extremely competitive Men’s First flight by one stroke from Andrew Guilfoyle. Guilfoyle won on the countback from Simon Reyes.  

In the Nett categories Chris Henriques was the winner, Adrian Mayers second and Sean Edey third in the Men’s Championship Flight. Annan Rajpaulsingh was first in the Men’s First Flight, Ian Gouveia second and Trevor Tasker third. Walter Redman won the Nett prize in the Men’s Senior Flight with Michael Commissiong second while Kenneth Edwards was the Nett winner in the Super Senior Men’s Flight where Jim Nicholls was second.

Prize Winners

NET

1st  

2nd

3rd

Junior Champion

Simon Proverbs

Ladies

Christine Yhap – 215

Pauline Figuera-Raynor – 221

Super Senior Men

Kenneth Edwards - 221

Jim Nichols - 221

Senior Men

Walter Redman – 216

Michael Commissiong - 227

Men’s 1st Flight
(10-18 handicap)

Annan Rajpaulsingh - 225

Ian Gouveia -  230

Trevor Tasker - 231

Men’s Championship
(under 9 handicap)

Chris Henriques – 215

Adrian Mayers – 218

Sean Edey - 223

GROSS

Ladies

Kimesha Anthony – 222

Lynn deCambra-McLeod - 239

Super Senior Men

Birchmore Griffith – 238

Monty Chapman - 240

Senior Men

Robert Piggott – 226

Ricky Skeete - 226

Terry Hanton - 234

Men’s 1st Flight
(10-18 handicap)

John Phillips – 257

Andrew Guilfoyle – 258

Simon Reyes - 258

Men’s Championship
(under 9 handicap)

James Johnson – 210

Omari James – 213

Nick Voss - 225