The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

CHEMARI Pratt, Aiden Johnson, Christopher Knowles and Nyah Singh were the winners of the advanced division II categories of the Fourteenth Club Golf Academy’s Skills Competition on Saturday.

Maddison Carroll, Elyse Hanna, Nataija McPhee and Nicholas Astwood were the winners of the beginners’ division one of the academy’s first competition held for the year in the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Driving Range at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

“We were really happy that Mr (Craig) Flowers allowed us to use the golf course,” said Georgette Rolle, the director and head coach of the Fourteenth Club Golf Academy. “He got it prepared, it was in great shape and the competition was tight today.”

Rolle, the Bahamian representative in the recent Ladies Professional Golf Association’s Pure Silk Tournament at the Ocean Golf Club on Paradise Island, said they were able to promote some of the competitors from last year to division two if they were successful in shooting 36 or better from their designated yardage where they played from further than those in division one.

“I believe that based on the performances that I’ve seen, these kids will be very dangerous in the next few years if they continue to play and improve on their skills,” she said.

“The competition was tight. We had a lot of scores in the 30s, which showed that the Fourteenth Club is making an impact. So I think all of the coaches and the parents in the club can be happy with what we have seen in the golfers.”

Rolle said this will only inspire those competitors in division one to work even harder so that they can join their peers in division two and that will force the academy to expand to division three.

In the division one, Maddison Carroll was the lone competitor in the 6-and-under division, shooting 58. Elyse Hanna won the 8-and-under division with a 39 over Nicholas Turnquest, who shot 45. Nataija McPhee won the 10-and-under with 39, compared to Eden Hall’s 40. And Nicholas Astwood was the lone competitor in the 13-and-under with 47.

Chemari Pratt claimed the division two 8-and-under title with 39 over Michael Knowles, who shot 41.

Aiden Johnson won the 10-and-under with 32 to beat out Alexander Knowles, who did 35. Christopher Knowles out-dual A’Marie Smith 29-32 for the 13-and-under title and twin sister Nyah Singh nipped her sibling Tia Singh 37-38 in the 17-and-under category.

“I felt awful when I was out there, but I felt very good when I saw that I shot a 39,” said Pratt, who has competed in the academy for over a year. “I didn’t know that I shot that well.”

The 7-year-old grade three student of Sadie Curtis Primary School said the competition was good, but she improved on her putting.

Alexander Knowles, a nine-year-old fifth grader at Queen’s College, said he liked the fact that he can get to play golf since he got involved in the programme two years ago.

“I did good. I thought I could do better. I didn’t do that well in my putting, trying to get to the green,” he said. “The competition was good.”

Rolle thanked Flowers, the BGF, McDonald’s, Aquapure, Weight Watchers and Higgs & Johnson for the assistance they all provided with the facilities, the prizes or the refreshments that they were able to share with all of the competitors.

“They are growing to love the game that they can play for life,” she said. “It’s our goal at Fourteenth Club to provide an army of golfers who can grow up to become better citizens and even greater golfers in the country.”

One of the parents, Kumudu Miller, mother of 13-year-old Riya and 9-year-old Rhan Miller, said even since she got them involved in the academy a year ago, she’s seen a totally different attitude in their commitment to the sport.

“They’ve done soccer, they’ve done tennis and they’ve done everything where I’ve had to wake them up to take them in the mornings,” she stressed.

“This is one sport that I don’t have to do anything. They are ready to go at any point because they love it.

“On the weekend, they both played in the Albany Tournament. They had 18 holes to play on Saturday and Sunday and after I caddied for my son, I could hardly walk. But my son went back to the putting green to putt. So I was actually amazed.”

Miller encouraged parents to find out exactly what it is their child or children love to participate in and make sure that they enjoy it and everything else will fall into place for them.

“I think this is something other parents should encourage their children to try out. We have golf clubs that they can use, so just let them come out and try it and see if they like it. I don’t think it’s a sport that get a lot of attention in the Bahamas, but it’s one that they can play for a lifetime.”

The next tournament will be held on Saturday, March 11 for golfers between the ages of 4-17.

Interested persons can contact Rolle at the driving range or on their facebook account.