James Johnson?is still king of the United Insurance Barbados Golf Open.
The perennial Barbados and Caribbean champion turned back a strong challenge from Kittitian Trevor Levine yesterday to lift his 12th title at the Royal Westmoreland course.
Johnson, who started the day two strokes behind Levine, shot one-over-par 73 on the final day while Levine stumbled and posted 78, including a bogey on the 18th hole. The champion retained his crown with a 54-hole gross 219, three strokes ahead of Levine. Scott Stollmeyer was third on 224.
Women’s champion Rae “Muffin” Stollmeyer of Barbados also successfully defended her crown, posting a 78 yesterday for a three-day gross 229. Second was 12-year-old Mavi Vergos, who shot 81 for a gross 237.
The leaders in the men’s championship flight were locked in an intriguing battle yesterday and tied scores after 14 holes. Johnson slipped ahead as Levine double-bogeyed the 15th and maintained a lead of four strokes going into the final 18th hole.
With spectators assembled off the greens, the pressure of the battle was evident on the last hole as both players stumbled in the closing stages. Johnson dropped two strokes as he overhit his second shot which went out of bounds, but Levine was unable to narrow the gap.
Levine bogeyed the final hole as his putt from four feet away sailed past the right edge of the cup, and Johnson was confirmed champion for another year.
“If feels great to win . . . I take a lot of pride in being national champion,” he said.
“My game was not the best this week but Levine is a good player and I had to find a way. My experience playing these courses in Barbados made the difference.”
Levine, an OECS Hoerman Cup player and a tourism industry professional now based in the United States Virgin Islands, has won several tournaments across the Caribbean – including the Barbados Open in 2003 as well as the Trinidad Open and St Kitts Open.
Caribbean champion Robert Piggott upstaged defending champion Michael Haynes to win the senior men’s division, posting 79 yesterday for a 54-hole gross 230. That was seven strokes clear of Trinidadian Farouk Bhopa (237) and eight better than Haynes (238).
Barbadian Bill Weir took the Super-Seniors division (over 60 years) as he registered 78 yesterday for a three-day gross of 225, which was three strokes ahead of defending champion Monty Chapman of Trinidad and nine ahead of Arjune Samlall (234).
Around 130 players in five divisions, from the Caribbean, Canada, England and France contested the 30th edition of the three-day championships, which were organized by the Barbados Golf Association.
For the first time, the tournament was played on four courses: Apes Hill, the Barbados Golf Club, The Country Club at Sandy Lane and Royal Westmoreland. (BB/EZS)
