By Avenash Ramzan
Guyana’s leading male golfer Avinash Persaud stamped his authority on the final day of the Bridgestone Guyana Open 2019, winning the event in fading light for a record 10th time, while Barbados-based Guyanese Julia Stephenson made a memorable debut at the Lusignan Golf Course, carting off the female title.
A fair-sized crowd witnessed the players in action in the dying stages of two-day event, which concluded on Sunday with the final bit of on-course action being Persaud lifting his hands in celebrations as the sun faded in the distance.
Competing in the Championship Flight (0-9), the confident Persaud notched up his sixth consecutive Guyana Open title with an overall Gross of 146.
His brother Avinda Kishore, who won the tournament in 2013, finished second with Gross 149, while Franklin Stephenson, the former Barbados cricketer and husband of female winner Julia, took third with a Gross of 157.
“This is no strange feelings,” Persaud said after the victory. “Because there was no doubt about it I was going to win again. From the starting of the year I was just waiting for the tournament.”
“The key to winning is just to hold your nerve and play what you know.”
The female category was much more close with Julia Stephenson, originally from Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice, emerging champion by one stroke.
Julia, a grandmother of seven, had an overall Gross of 176 and was closely followed by one-time Guyana Open winner Shanella London (177) and 2018 champion Christine Sukhram (180).
“It means a whole lot,” Julia said about winning the Guyana Open on her first trip to Lusignan.
“I’ve never been here (at Lusignan); I never even knew there was a golf course here and first time here I was invited by the president Mr. Aleem Hussain.”
Julia only got familiar with the Course in the days leading up to the Guyana Open and credited her success to “course management.”
“It (the Guyana Open) was very competitive. I really enjoyed it. It was all about course management, which I think I did very well,” Julia said.
She continued, “This was all about me coming and playing and trying to beat the Course, not about beating anybody else, and managing the Course because I don’t know it. I wasn’t looking at rivals; I wasn’t looking at who to beat and who not to beat. That was my thinking; I’m new here. If I lost I didn’t matter, I’m glad I won, but it was all about course management.”
SUMMARISED RESULTS
0-9 Flight (Gross)
Avinash Persaud 146
Avinda Kishore 149
Franklyn Stephenson 157
0-9 Flight (Net)
Avinda Kishore 141
Avinash Persaud 142
Alfred Mentore 142
- Persaud won on a countback
10-18 Flight (Gross)
Robin Tiwari 166
Rakesh Harry 166
Azrodeen Shaw 168
- Tiwari won by having a better second day
10-18 Flight (Net)
Rakesh Harry 130
Robin Tiwari 134
George Bulkan 142
19-28 Flight (Gross)
Imtiaz Subhan 178
Philbert London 180
Miguel Oviedo 201
19-28 Flight (Net)
Imtiaz Subhan 134
Miguel Oviedo 145
Jordi Pinol 149
Ladies Flight (Gross)
Julia Stephenson 176
Shanella London 177
Christine Sukhram 180
Ladies Flight (Net)
Shanella London 149
Joaan Deo 153
Julia Stephenson 154
Senior Flight (Gross)
Abdool Azeez 199
Tulsieram Persaud 199
Maurice Solomon 203
- Azeez won by having a better second day
Senior Flight (Net)
Maurice Solomon 151
Tulsieram Persaud 151
Abdool Azeez 155
- Solomon won by having a better second say
Nearest-to-the-Pin
Day One- Kassim Khan
Day Two- Neville Pascal
Longest Drive
Day One- Parmanand ‘Max’ Persaud
Day Two- Avinda Kishore
