ROSE HALL, St James — Hosts Jamaica and the Dominican Republic are dead even going in to this morning’s final round of the Hoerman Cup competition at the 59th Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships at the White Witch course at Half Moon Club in Rose Hall, St James.

Both teams are tied with 37 over par 901 after three rounds in what has come down to a ‘two-horse’ race with third-placed Puerto Rico 19 shots back on 56 over par 920.

Jamaica’s team manager, Robert ‘Bobby’ Chin, told the Jamaica Observer that, while they were close to winning, the last lap would not be easy. “I will tell the team that it’s not done yet, there are 18 holes to go; halfway there but plenty, plenty golf left.”

Chin added: “It would mean a hell of a lot for Jamaica to win the Hoerman Cup; we are very close at the moment, and just for golf in Jamaica it would mean a lot. But we need to complete the mission.”

Yesterday, the Dominican Republic’s golfers had a brilliant round of five over par 293 to close the gap on the Jamaicans, who came into the day leading by six strokes and will have momentum on their side.

Jamaica had a steady round of 11 over par 299 yesterday, the second best of the three days, and there is quiet optimism in the camp that they could win their first Hoerman Cup since 1998, and first in western Jamaica since 1990 when they won at Tryall Club.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Newnham shot back-to-back one under par 71 scores to hold on to his lead in the individual category for a three-round score of one under 215, three strokes better than Bahamian Devaughn Robinson, who shot two under par 70 yesterday, the best round of the week to be on two over 218.

Radhames Pena of the Dominican Republic is the third player to go under par when he shot one under par 71 yesterday to be in third place overall on six over 222, one shot ahead of teammate Lino Guerrero and Barbadian James Johnson, both over seven over par 223.

Personal glory was far from Newnham’s mind yesterday. “I am feeling really solid, I am playing well, but the main focus is on the team winning the Hoerman Cup, so I am hoping the guys can come together and we can do that tomorrow.”

The team title would be a feather in his cap, Newnham said. “It’s huge, we haven’t won in a long time, and it would be good to do it on the home turf with all the support, so it would be something special.”

As for his own round, it was another tough day battling the wind and blazing heat. “It was an up and down day,” he said. “I had six birdies, but there were and some pretty bad holes as well, but 71 is not bad, and I have to keep grinding and hope I can do better Friday.”

He got off to the worst start, shooting a three over par eight on the first hole, but managed to get back the strokes by the fifth hole with three birdies to go back to even par, though swapping a bogey and a birdie on the sixth and seventh holes.

Newnham battled to two under par by the 11th hole, but dropped a shot at the 15th hole.

Owen Samuda followed up his 72 on Wednesday with a nine over par 81 yesterday to be in a three-way tie for 13th place on 15 over par 231.

Ian Facey is tied for 16th on 16 over par 232 after his six over 78 yesterday, one shot ahead of Sean Morris, who rebounded from his nightmare on Wednesday when he shot 83 for a one over 73 yesterday, and he told the Observer that a “stomach bug” had ruined his round the previous day.

William Knibbs had a steady round of five over par 77 to be in 21st position with a total of 19 over par 235.

Despite their best day, shooting a nine over par 153 yesterday, the women’s team in the George Teale Memorial are in fifth place on 52 over par 484, 20 shots off the lead.

Campion College student Kei Harris put up a courageous show as, despite a painful left arm, she battled through a tough round to card a 15 over par 87 for a three-day score 41 over 257.

The pain which she said started in her elbow and down into her forearm left her in tears several times during the round and caused her to play one handed for most of the round.

Madelyn Piciccini shot a six over 78, her best score of the week as she moved up to 10th place on 28 over par 244, with Tiana Cruz a shot back after rebounding with a three over par 75 yesterday after shooting 90 the day before.

Puerto Rico lead with 32 over par 464 after shooting 11 over par 155 yesterday; the United States Virgin Islands are in second place, three strokes back, on 35 over 467 after their 12 over 156 yesterday.

Defending champions Trinidad and Tobago are in third place, eight shots off the lead, with a 40 over par 272 after their best round of the week, a seven over par 151.

The Dominican Republic’s Karina Sanchez leads the individual scores with 11 over 227 after carding a one over par yesterday, the best score all week.

The US Virgin Islands’ Amira Alexander slipped to second place, three strokes back, on 14 over 230 after scoring a seven over par 79 yesterday.

Puerto Rico’s Yudika Rodriquez is in third place on 16 over 232 after a seven over 79 yesterday, followed by teammate Valeria Pachecho on 17 over par 233.

Jamaica are in a three-way tie for third with the US Virgin Islands and The Bahamas in the Ramon Baez Trophy competition on four over par 220 after the team of Gifford Wilmot and Mark Newnham shot a level par 72 yesterday.

The Dominican Republic lead with eight under par 208 after a five under 67 yesterday, their second under par score of the week, with Barbados in second place on two over par 218.

The team of Keith Stein and Radcliff Knibbs is third in the Francis/Steele-Perkins Cup on level par 216 after a one under par 71 yesterday, their second under par score. Trinidad and Tobago lead with five under par 211 ahead of Barbados on two under par 214.

Peter Chin and Easton Williams are also third in the Higgs & Higgs Trophy on one over par 217 after shooting a level par 72 on Thursday. The Bahamas lead with five under par 211 with Trinidad and Tobago second on one under par 215.