BARBADOS seem to have a rising star on the golf horizon.
Serena Smith, 15, was second in the recent Caribbean Junior Amateur Golf Championships (CJAGC) and the top performer among the juniors who represented Barbados.
Her coach Denny Foster says Smith, who narrowly missed selection to the Barbados women’s team for the senior Caribbean championships in Barbados a few months ago, has matured.
“She has turned the corner and is really serious about her game,” said Foster, who coached the juniors at the CJAGC tournament at the Lucayan golf course in Freeport, The Bahamas. Smith started shakily but finished with her best score of 78.
Barbados were represented in every age category except the girls 16-17 years division. Foster described this as a positive step for the development of junior golf.
Did not win
He said although Barbados did not win a medal there were several promising results. The players worked very hard in preparing for the championships, the coach said.
Osama Khan was consistently solid, placing fifth with scores of 74, 76, 76 in the Boys’ 14-15 years age group. He also appears to be another good prospect.
Donald Leacock started well with 76 in this division. Spencer Smith, Serena’s brother, improved on his scores in the 11-13 age group.
The disappointment was in the boys’ 16-17 years category where Simon Proverbs, the defending champion, was eighth. Warren Bynoe and team captain Dane da Silva finished down the field.
“The children trained very hard and tried their best,” Foster said. “I would say we were well prepared and there were some good scores overall.”
