BARBADOS: A very successful St. Maarten Golf Team returned with numerous trophies after
participating in the annual ECGA tournament that was hosted by the Barbados Golf Association
at the Barbados Golf Club over the weekend.
This year seven islands participated in the ECGA tournament. Both highly skilled as well as talented recreational golfers from Barbados, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, St. Croix, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Maarten battled it out on a very attractive and challenging golf course.
It was the host island of Barbados that won the Overall Team Gross score with a total combined score of 1,235 Low Gross. Antigua & Barbuda ended up in second place Low Gross with a combined score of 1,290. The Overall Team Net score, after deduction of a team’s combined handicap, was won by St. Maarten with a total score of 1,201. St. Croix ended up in second place Low Net with a combined score 1,238.
During the two- day tournament, the St. Maarten team was able to keep pace with the top teams and perform in an exceptional way. Winning top honors in the Overall Team Net score meant that all members in their specific category excelled during the weekend.
The St. Maarten Golf Team consisted of the following 12 players that competed in 4 categories:
– Ladies : Oli Tinitali, Gitte Poulsen and Anne-Marie Bouillé
– Men : Jesus Rivera, Andy Holmes, Marc van Iersel and Oliver Hobgood
– Seniors : Tony Lake, Sam Bashir and Jan Peter Holtland
– Super-Seniors : Keith Graham and Jean Paul Clerc
The Team Event : St. Maarten Men’s Team won First Low Net in their category, the St. Maarten Team won the Second Low Net in the Ladies Team category and the St Maarten Senior’s Team won Second Low Net in their category.
Besides the team successes, St. Maarten also had two players that won individual prizes. Oliver Hobgood won individual 1 st Low Net, after deduction of his handicap, in the Men’s category with a score of 143, Jan Peter Holtland won individual 1 st Low Net in the Seniors category with a score of 141.
The Eastern Caribbean Golf Association Tournament is organized each year by a different host-country and consists of the best players from eleven countries that are a member of the Eastern Caribbean Golf Association (ECGA). These countries are: Anguilla, Antigua-Barbuda, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Maarten and St. Thomas.
The St. Maarten team members were selected from a total of 7 Medal Play qualification tournaments that were organized by the SMGA during the period from January 2019 until August 2019. These Medal Play tournaments attract average around 25-30 golfers, most of which are very competitive and eager to make the St. Maarten team.
The SMGA is a non-profit organization of avid golfers that promotes 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 most of its proceeds that are made through membership fees and during events like the St. Maarten Open to multiple community organizations on the island.
