It was rainy and overcast in Tobago as players from the U.S. Virgin Islands Golf Federation teed off in the first round of the 2023 Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship on Wednesday.
Six players are representing the U.S. Virgin Islands and are competing against several Caribbean countries, including Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Barbados, Turks & Caicos, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, and Cayman Islands. This is the 66th year the tournament has brought together the best golfers in the Caribbean.
“It is always exciting to have our players participate in this prestigious event. It affords us the opportunity to showcase the talent from the Virgin Islands and experience a high level of competition,” said U.S. Virgin Islands Golf Federation President Nevin Phillips.
The 2023 Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship is held July 25 to 29 and is a three-day competition event. The tournament includes men’s and women’s team divisions, where the men compete for the Hoerman Cup and the women compete for the George Teale Trophy. Day one of the tournament included pouring rain weather conditions as golfers teed off.
“Overall the course is playing super wet. But everybody is in the same conditions so we just got to make the most of it and focus on our game,” said USVI team captain Jennifer Prendergast Orellana, who shot an 84 in the first round. She and teammate Ali Prazak are currently in fourth place in the women’s team division for the George Teale Trophy.
“Overall I think we’re both hitting the ball really well. We both know we can shed a few strokes tomorrow so we’re striving to go low the next two days,” said Prendergast Orellana. She and Prazak played together when the USVI women’s team came in second place for the George Teale Trophy in the 2021 Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship in Puerto Rico.
For the USVI Golf Federation, the men’s team points weren’t counted for the first round of the tournament because one of the players couldn’t finish due to health concerns. The U.S. Virgin Islands Golf Federation says the player has been cleared to play and is doing great. He’ll compete in the rest of the tournament.
From the USVI men’s team, Jarrod Sweeting had the lowest score amongst the team for day one, shooting a 79.
“It’s very exciting representing the USVI for the first time. Part of the reason I moved to the USVI was the friendships made at these tournaments while playing for The Bahamas as a junior golfer. I look forward to competing in future events under the USVI flag,” said Jarrod Sweeting, who’s competed in Caribbean Golf Association tournaments for over 20 years.
The 2023 Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship is being played at Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort. After rainy weather conditions slowed down on Wednesday, the sun and heat followed. But no matter the weather, Sweeting says it’s about having fun and celebrating Caribbean golf.
“It’s always a great time when you get a large group of Caribbean people together. While everyone wants to win, the main focus is always having fun and the relationships made with players from other countries,” Sweeting said.
“It’s cool to not only be in Trinidad but Tobago, its sister island which is a little bit smaller. The experience overall is really great just to connect with people we’ve played with over the years. So it’s really exciting to be here and represent the USVI,” said Prendergast Orellana.
