First day of JGA Open marred by slow play
HANOVER, Jamaica — Canadian favourite David Morland and American first-timer Erik Barnes both shot impressive six under par 66 scores to share the lead after the first round of the 53rd Jamaica Golf Association Open presented by Aqua Bay at the Tryall Club in Hanover yesterday.
Despite a relatively small field, yesterday’s opening day was marred by slow play with some of the groups taking almost five hours to complete their round on what was a gorgeous day.
Just about all the players spoke about swirling winds on the back nine that are in the hills but the leaders are also confident they can card better scores on today’s second round.
American Brad Adamonis, who was fourth previously when the JGA Open was played at the Half Moon course, is three shots behind Morland and Barnes after shooting a three under par 69 with three players tied for fourth on even par 72- Americans Stephen Grant and Ryan Linton along with Canadian Stephen Thomas.
Orville Christie is the highest ranked Jamaican professional after he carded a four over par 76 to be tied for 13th place, the same score shared by Jamaicans, William Knibbs and Sebert Walker Jr at the top of the amateur leader board.
Jamaicans Ricardo Perry was 19th after the first round on six over par 78 with Wesley Brown and Ian Facey both on seven over 79, tied for 20th with Neville Carr tied for 25th on 10 over 82 with Cosiar McKenzie.
American Robert Owen is third on six over par 78 with two-time defending amateur champion Justin Burrowes of Jamaica a shot back a seven over 79.
Morland, who was second last year with a 10 under score, carded his fourth straight round on the Tryall Club course as his 66 yesterday followed up scores of 69, 69 and 68 last year when he finished two shots behind American Patrick Cover.
The Canadian dropped a shot when he bogeyed the par three fourth but caught fire between the sixth and the eighth holes when he went eagle, birdie, eagle to ‘turn the corner’ with a four under par 33.
Three more birdies including one on the 18th hole and a bogey on the back nine saw him finish strong.
“I got off to a good start and played well,” he said after his round, “I made a couple of eagles on the front side to get me going and finished with a birdie so pleased with it so far it so far.”
Morland says he is getting ready to start his qualifying for the Champions Tour, which starts in mid-February, and said he would mix that up with the European Seniors Tour for which he has already qualified.
Barnes, who resides in Florida and has been playing on the Korn Ferry Tour for the last six years, also got off to a good start with birdies on the third, seventh and eight holes as well as an eagle on the par five sixth hole and was five under par before he bogeyed the ninth hole.
He however picked up two more shots on the back nine, admitting afterwards that “I got off to a good start I did not play very good from number nine on but played well the first eight and kinda managed from there on.”
Barnes said the holes in the hills proved to be more difficult. “With the winds swirling and there are so many breaks in different directions that you can’t see on the greens because there is so much elevation, I did not do so well on the last 10 holes to be honest.”
There is some hope however he said. “I played solid and kept the ball in front of me the whole day and putted well but hopefully I will hit a little bit better (today) and play better on the back nine.”
Adamonis was steady through his round with two birdies on the front nine, on the sixth and eighth holes and after a bogey at the 10th he birdied the 13th and 17th holes.
Knibbs the national amateur champion didn’t do as well as he hoped but said there were positives that he can build on for the last two days, “It was ok I didn’t make any birdies, I had one double bogey and two other bogies but with a lot of the puts here you have to be defensive and I wasn’t hitting it close enough, often enough,” he told the Jamaica Observer, “There’re lots of positives to take from today, I hit a lot of greens in regulation but did not necessarily convert the chances but the fact that I was hitting them was good.”
Walker Jr said he had a “solid day, I had it going for a while but the finish was kinda weak,” he said, I got a bogey on the 15th hole and a double on the 16th but I tried to make a birdie on the 18th but it didn’t happen, I am not happy but I am content.”
Paul A Reid