The youth and securing the future of golf will take centre stage when the Barbados Golf Association (BGA) stages the RBC/RBTT Classic Golf Championships on November 27 and 28 at the Barbados Golf Club, Durants, Christ Church.
In confirming their support of the event, Frank Drakes, marketing manager of RBC/RBTT, announced a special award for junior golfers that will be presented at the end of the tournament.
A committee will assess the candidates before awarding the RBC/RBTT Junior High Performance Award.
“This award is not necessarily going to be based on the performance of the golfer at the tournament,” Drakes said.
“We are going to look at what we would like to call a body of work, where we are going to look at the accomplishments of the juniors over the past year and maybe even beyond that.
“We are committed to youth development as an organisation and a lot of development comes through sport.
“I don’t think you can discount the importance of sport in terms of development and character building.”
This goes hand-in-hand with the BGA’s development thrust for the sport with the introduction of a junior division at the sixth Classic Championships.
President Birchmore Griffith said players 18 years and under with a handicap of seven and under are eligible to participate.
Among the island’s top juniors are 2008 winner Simon Proverbs, Warren Bynoe, Donald Leacock and Serena Smith, the winner of this year’s Barbados Open and the youngest player to do so.
Smith recently received a scholarship to play and practise at Royal Westmoreland, and the pro there helps her with her game.
This year’s Classic is expected to attract between 100 and 120 players, double the number when the tournament started in 2005 and reflecting the third straight year of growth.
Players will receive gift bags and prizes, with the overall winner getting his name inscribed on the crystal trophy and receiving a replica.
The Classic consists of two sections. There are four strokeplay categories: the men’s championships nine and under, the men’s first flight ten to 18, the senior men’s (50+) open and the ladies championships.
There are also two categories in Stableford play for men with a handicap 19 and over and women 13 and over.
In addition to locals, golfers from Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and St Lucia have expressed an interest.
The defending champions are Orville Alleyne and Helen Foster.
“We are happy with the enthusiasm being expressed this year and expect all of the winners from last year to be competing again.
“Because of the competition last year and the competitiveness, it is already showing that this tournament is going to be very exciting,” Griffith said.