STEPHEN LAYNE can truly call Barbados home again.
He’ll always own something at Durants.
The third time proved the charm for the Canadian resident as Layne captured his first ever RBC/RBTT Classic, edging Judd Cozier in a one-shot thriller during yesterday’s final round at the Barbados Golf Club.
Braving the wind and rains, Layne shot a one-over par 73 to finish with a cumulative score of 150, barely besting Cozier (151) who was tied with the eventual champ going into the final hole.
But Cozier slipped at that last hurdle, bogeying the 18th to hand Layne the crystal cup in just his third appearance at the Classic.
“My aim was to get it over the water and make birdie,” said the Bajan-born Layne of his thoughts entering the final hole.
“I hit the ball on the middle of the fairway [so] that was the first start and then I laid out nicely on the left side.”
In the end, Layne settled for par but got more than the sun, sea and sand he reckoned for on vacation.
This after Layne trailed early leader Marcus Clarke by three shots entering the final day, having hit a disappointing five-over 77 on Saturday.
And Layne hardly made up any ground over yesterday’s front nine with a one-over 37. But Clarke quickly faltered thereafter, hitting five consecutive bogeys to fall out of contention, leaving Layne and Cozier in the epic duel along the back nine.
“I was fortunate to do it this year,” expressed Layne.
“I hit some good iron shots [and] drove the ball very well and putted great. I played a lot of short game shots, chipping it close to give myself three feet for par.”
Clarke (152) eventually shot 78 to finish third while Igna Smart (163), who started the day tied with Layne for third, ended a further 11 strokes back.
There was no such letdown for Lynn DeCambra McLeod though, as the seasoned golfer extended her initial three-stroke lead to win the women’s championship by a comfortable eight shots.
It proved sweet redemption for last month’s Barbados Open, where DeCa mbra McLeod had to settle for second place behind 15-year-old Serena Smith after the teen blew away the field. Julia Stephenson (166) was second, having hit 81on the final day while Smith (169) settled for third.
In the men’s first flight, Frank Drakes (165) held off a threatening charge from Trevor Tasker (166) along the back nine before also sneaking home with a one-shot victory.
Just two strokes separated the top nine in the field before Drakes and Chambers separated themselves from the pack with identical 41s.
But Chambers fell off the pace with a 48 while Tasker left his charge too late along the back nine. Manesh Panjwani was third with a score of 172.
One-time Caribbean champ Roger Piggott (147), won his second senior title in as many major tournaments when he hit an even par 72 – 36 on both the front and back – to beat Michael Haynes (154) and Ray Marshall (159).
