Two new champions were crowned in the Bahamas Golf Federation’s (BGF) RF National Amateur Golf Championships that wrapped up yesterday afternoon. Walking away with the men’s title was Heathcliffe Kane and winning the women’s title was Anne Fernandez.
The tournament was set for four days but because of bad weather, it was played over three days and covered 54 holes. Friday’s and Saturday’s rounds were played at the Ocean Club Golf Course on Paradise Island, while the third and final round on Sunday was played at the Royal Blue Golf Course at Baha Mar.
Kane, who fell short in the BGF Junior National Championships last month, got redemption as he finished the 54 holes one-under par 215.
“It was great to come away with the victory. It was great playing against Paul (Tsavoussis) and Sebastian (Iberri) who are past champions. They were very good competitors,” Kane said.
The 17-year-old came into the final round with a six-stroke lead over the defending champion, Tsavoussis. On Saturday, Kane shot three-under par and on Friday, he finished even par. Yesterday, he shot two-over par.
Finishing second was Richard Gibson Jr. with a total score of five-over par 221. Over the three rounds, he finished the weekend with daily scores of 75, 72 and 74. He held off Tsavoussis who finished third at six-over par. The third round hurt the defending champion as he finished three-over 75 on the third day.
Fernandez, Holly McLean and Emily Mayne were the top three finishers in the female division.
Fernandez, 16, managed to finish first with a score of eight-over par 224.
“I am happy about it. My game has been quite consistent. On the last round, I was able to get a couple birdie putts that were quite crucial. The tournament has been good. My competitors were having fun and it was great sportsmanship. It was a great tournament,” Fernandez said.
She finished six-over 78 on the first day, and in the final two rounds, she finished one-over 73 on each day. Fernandez and second place finisher McLean were tied at seven-over heading into the final round yesterday. McLean had a tough time as she finished the round eight-over par 80, and totaled 15-over par 231 over the three days.
Mayne finished the 54-hole tournament at 21-over par 237. Defending Champion Jenna Bayles finished fourth with a score of 25-over par 241.
On hand watching the action was RF Vice President of Investments David Slatter. He said it was nice to see the golfers back in action after not having the national tournament in 2020, due to the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Coming out of the whole COVID crisis of 2020, it’s so pleasant to get back to normal life. RF is very pleased to sponsor the Bahamas Amateur Golf Championships. You’ve got three generations out here competing – juniors, the adults and the seniors – probably five generations, super seniors as well. We’re happy to be part of this event that’s got a long history in The Bahamas. We’re proud to be the sponsor again this year,” Slatter said.
Chairperson of the BGF Junior Division Gina Gonzalez-Rolle said they are happy to see the juniors coming away with the titles after their strong play over the three days.
Kane’s and Fernandez’s victories also mean they secured automatic spots on The Bahamas’ team for the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships (CAGC), set for August 8-12, in Puerto Rico. The men will play for the Hoerman Cup and the ladies will play for the George Teale Trophy. The rest of the team will be selected by a selection committee.
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source https://thenassauguardian.com/kane-fernandez-win/
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