MULLET BAY — Marlon George from Antigua, focused and consistent, was able among a field of 72 players, to win the title of Tournament Champion during the 30th annual St. Maarten Open Golf Tournament.
Marlon George ended on top on the first day of the two-day tournament, with a score of 80 gross and on the second day scored a respectable 82 gross, resulting in a 162 Low Gross score taking the Championship title.
The prize for Tournament Overall Low Net was won by Larry Stott from Anguilla with a total Low Net score of 135 beating the runner up who had the same score, but didn’t perform as well on the last 9 holes of the second tournament day.
During the two-day 36 holes tournament that took place over the weekend at the Mullet Bay Golf Course, players from both St. Maarten and St. Martin, joined by a large group of golfers from Anguilla, Curacao, Antigua, St. Kitt’s and Nevis and other neighboring islands as well as from Canada, USA, Great Britain and Germany, got underway on Saturday morning for their first round.
The St. Maarten Golf Association SMGA was able to organize this top ranked tournament due to the great partnership with Mullet Bay Resort & Golf Course, and the relentless efforts from its board members, volunteers as well as the tremendous support it received from both the local and international business community. Proceeds from the event will benefit pre-selected community charities and Youth Sports involvements.
The tournament was played under challenging course conditions with a good breeze, sunny weather and ocassion scattered showers.
In the Champions category, the prize of 1st Low Gross was won by Marlon George from Antigua with a score of 162, 1st Low Net was won by Jerry Semper from Curacao with a score of 150.
2nd Low Gross was won by Wilston Charles from Antigua with a score of 160. 2nd Low Net was won by Christopher Gibbons from the USA with a score of 150.
In the category Men’s 1st flight for players with a handicap between 10 and 16, Stanley Samuel from Sint Maarten came out on top with a score of 161 Low Gross. Chesney Hughes playing for Anguilla took first Low Net with a score of 143. In the Men’s 2nd Flight for players with a handicap between 17 and 31, first Low Gross was won by Steven Carty from St. Maarten with a score of 177. First Low Net went to Jacob Streefkerk from St. Maarten with a score of 135.
In a strong field with a total amount of 7 female players that joined the tournament this year, the prize for Low Gross in the Ladies category went to Marie Gibbons from the USA with a score of 182. Low Net was won by Joanne Ambron from the United States of America with a score of 149.
Bertie Con from Curacao shot 172 to win Low Gross in the category Seniors for players over 50 years old with a handicap between 7 and 20. Jan Peter Holtland coming out for Sint Maarten took 1st Low Net with a score of 142. For the second group of Seniors, where players with a handicap between 21 and 33 were competing, Low Gross was won by Larry Stott from Anguilla with a score of 179 and 1st Low Net by Jason Chapman with a score of 138 coming out for Anguilla as well.
This year again there were a large number of players participating in the category Super Seniors for golfers over 60 years old. Therefore, this category was split up for players with a handicap lower than 25 and a category with handicaps from 25 to 32. In the ‘Super Senior’s 1st Flight’ Gilberto Jardin from Curacao won Low Gross with a score of 174 and Low Net was won by Jean Marc Greaux from St. Barts with a score of 141. The category ‘Super Seniors 2nd Flight’ was won by Tony Burn from Newcastle, England with a score of 188 Low Gross, David ( Dougie) Donaghue from Newcastle, England as well, won Low Net in this category with a score of 143.
The SMGA is a non-profit organization of avid golfers that promot the practice of the game of golf and to foster community sense. The SMGA organizes golf matches and tournaments for its members and non-members and donates proceeds that are made through tournaments, and during these events like the St. Maarten Open, to multiple community organizations on the island.
