The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

DAY three of the 57th Annual Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship Tournament was a disappointing outing for Team Bahamas, highlighted by the disqualification of one team member.

Thomas Bethel, who initially appeared to shoot the best round of the day for Team Bahamas, was later disqualified following the completion of the round.

In a lengthy social media post, Bethel expressed his view on the heartbreaking decision which resulted in what he called “one of the worst days” of his golfing career.

“Definitely one of the worst days of my golfing career. Worked so hard to get back to 74 after playing like a monkey only to find out I was disqualified. On my 12th hole I hit my drive 340 yards into what was marked as a water hazard (red lines). I proceeded to take a drop within two club lengths of the line and continue playing. Upon completion of my round there was a rules official waiting or me,” he said.

“First of all I hardly saw a rules official all day, the first time he didn’t know what stroke and distance meant and the second he neglected to respond to our request to speed up the group in front of us. I called one on the same tee I hit it in the water to ask them to speed the group up in front of us but they never bothered. The group in front was 2.5 holes out of position. So I finished my round and the rules officials asked me what transpired on hole three (my 12th), my scorer then proceeded to explain that our group deemed my ball to cross the hazard and I took a drop per the lateral water hazard rule.

“However we were informed that there were rules sheets handed out the day before the tournament, which I never received, that said any red lines that did not have red stakes attached, to disregard. Therefore I breached playing a ball from the wrong spot.”

After two rounds, Bethel was 15th overall in individual stroke play after he shot an opening round 74 and followed with 77 in round two. His round three was initially a 74 prior to the disqualification.

“Due to my severe advantage, the rules officials deemed the correct ruling was disqualification. When I was in the officials’ office I asked to go to the spot and review and we went. Upon reaching we saw the same red line but now with white X’s everywhere, to ensure that no further persons made my error,” Bethel said.

“While I accept the rules of golf and the apology of my manager I must ask what exactly these CAGC rules officials do? If they knew there were these areas in questions, as they obviously did, why did they not put white X’s on them before? This is not a vacation for you this is a serious golf event played by people representing their country. Again I accept that what was handed down to me. Let me clarify that I did not break an actual rule of golf but that of a local decision made by the CGA with poor representation Sorry for letting my country down and I hope to do better next year.”

The remainder of Team Bahamas also took the course yesterday at the top amateur golfing event in the region.

In the Hoerman Cup, the Bahamas remained in seventh with a combined total score of 939.

On day three, Lucas Echverri shot 82, Benjamin Davis also produced a round of 82, Asif Robinson shot 86, while Devaughn Robinson shot 77.

Davis had the lowest total of the quartet with a score of 227.

In the competition for the George Teale Memorial trophy, the Bahamas moved up a spot to seventh with a total score of 533.

Inicia Rolle totalled 107 in round three, Asiyah Robinson scored 90 while Taneka Sandiford shot an 88. Sandiford was the top performer for the trio at 267.

The team of Peter McIntosh and John McIntosh currently sit in sixth in the the race for the Ramon Baez Trophy for Mid-Amateur men. They opened with a 75 in round one, and followed with a 72 in rounds two and three for a total of 219.

Oswald Moore and Vernon Wells shot fourth for the Higgs and Higgs Trophy for Super Senior Men. They opened with a 75, followed with a 71 in round two and 76 in round three.

Paul Bowe and George Swann shot sixth in the Francis and Steele Perkins Cup with a total of 226 after a 78 in round one, 72 in round two and 76 in round three.

More than 125 of the top golfers in the Caribbean are competing in the tournament which is hosted in a different Caribbean country each year, and for the first time in the USVI.

Participating countries include the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and OECS.

The OECS team is represented by players from Eastern Caribbean countries, including Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.