Bajans win first Hoerman Cup

SAN JUAN: Barbados notched their first ever Hoerman Cup but Puerto Rico swept three other titles to emerge as the top team at the 48th Caribbean Golf Championship that ended at the Lucayan Course at the Lucaya Golf Club on Saturday evening. The prestigious Hoerman Cup, which goes to the best men’s golf team in the Caribbean, was nailed by the Barbadians with an 884 total, comfortably topping second-placed Puerto Rico (893), with Trinidad and Tobago third at 904.

Puerto Rico, enjoying the home conditions, won the Ramon Baez Trophy, the Francis Steel-Perkins Trophy and the Higgs and Higgs event. Barbados’ captain James Johnson was the only player in the field to end the championship under par and spurred his team to victory.  He opened with the round of the tournament, a six under par 66 and then he followed up that start with consistent rounds of one under par 71 for the remaining three rounds. He finished with a total of 279, nine under par for the championship, more than good enough to be named the region’s top golfer. The other members of the team were Carlsen Leacock who finished 13 over par for the tournament, teenager Darren Boardley ended 24 over par and Billy Tempro was also 24 over par for the tournament.

Barbados placed sixth in the Francis Steele Perkins Cup for the seniors that Puerto Rico won ahead of the Cayman Islands. Puerto Rico topped the super seniors Higgs and Higgs event with a 280 total, five shots ahead of Trinidad and Tobago (285) and the Bahamas (290) and also won the Ramon Baez, followed by the Bahamas and Jamaica. In the George Teale Trophy event for women, the Bahamas were clear winners with a 627 total, 17 shots in front of Puerto Rico (644), with Jamaica third at 645. The tournament attracted teams from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Bahamas, the OECS, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos Islands and The United States Virgin Islands.