Former Barbados junior captain Donald Leacock owns the hottest set of golf clubs on the island at the moment.
The 17-year-old continued his impressive start to the new season by winning the third annual Crane Residential Resort Golf Classic at the Barbados Golf Club last weekend.
Leacock emerged champion in strokeplay competition among low-handicap players, with a gross 69, in a tournament where 86 male and female players teed off on a rain-affected course at Durants, Christ Church.
The champion, who is seeking his second national senior cap in the Hoerman Cup regional tournament this year, sealed the win with a birdie on the 18th hole in a group where Collis Lynch and Charles Leacock also ended their rounds with birdies.
Another teenager, 14-year-old Mavi Vergos, won the women’s Stableford competition with 39 points while Claire Boucher was second with 36.
The Stableford system, often modified to suit tournament play at the club level, is a popular system that allows high-handicap players to be more competitive.
Rather than counting the total number of strokes taken, as in strokeplay, golfers play against the par score for each hole and score points based on the number of strokes taken.
Among the men, Collis Lynch played himself to a podium finish for the second straight year as he copped the first nett prize with a score of 63. Second was Frank Drakes (nett 66) and former Barbados tennis champion Tyrone Mapp was third with 68.
In Stableford play for men with 13 and over handicaps, British visitor Julian Mounter, a former BBC broadcaster, won the division with 42 points, ahead of Charles Leacock (40 points) and Eric Layne (37 points).
Mounter, a Crane resident on his 13th holiday in Barbados, said the victory was his best showing in tournament play and praised the classic as an event that allowed visitors to mix and play alongside Barbadian golfers.
Following competition on the greens and fairways at Durants, players, sponsors and supporters came together for dinner and the award of prizes during a ceremony at the Crane Resort last Saturday night.
Attractive prizes included weekend stays at the luxurious property and operations manager Korey Boyce said the tournament was a good fit with the market positioning of the Crane Resort and that it also brought together Barbadians and visitors in an exciting event.
General manager of the Barbados Golf Club, Betty-June Leacock, thanked players and sponsors for making the third annual Crane Classic a success.
Other prize winners included: Harriett Linton (longest drive – women); Scott Stollmeyer (longest drive – men); Xavier Wiggins (most outstanding junior); Sharon Kemp (England – closest to the pin, (women) and Dean Eccleston (closest to the pin, men).
(BA/PR)