Competing for the first time in Barbados and at the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Festival of Golf International Tournament (SGSG) that annually attracts over 200 golfers from around the world, Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) President, Aleem Hussain, and former Guyana Open Ladies Champion, Dr. Joaan Deo, both placed sixth on the Net Score in their Flights.
Hussain played in the Seniors Championship Flight (handicap 0-11), while Dr. Deo played in the Ladies Championship Flight (handicap 0-14). LGC overseas-based member Mark Woosley placed fourth in his Flight.
Despite not being in the top three in their Flights, the Guyanese considered the experience a very rewarding one in that their confidence was boosted to the point where they expect LGC golfers to be in winner’s row in 2020.
President Hussain, who took the opportunity to also actively sell the development and vision of the LGC to those who participated at the tournament, indicated that “with upgrades to the LGC, including the new multi-million dollar MaCorp sponsored Driving Range, and several other facilities, despite only being a 9-hole course, LGC golfers performance will match and even excel over the competitors that golfed this year.”
He noted also that “the greens on the course we played were much trickier than the fairly level greens in Guyana, and consequently we will ensure that the level of difficulty on some LGC greens is increased so that golfers here will practice and play on greens comparable to those in Barbados.”
President Hussain noted that Sir Garfield Sobers was welcoming of the Guyana team, and reminisced about his glorious times playing golf at the Lusignan Golf Course with LGC honorary member Joe Solomon, former Guyanese and West Indian cricket legend.
Countries which participated in the 2019 SGSG tournament included Antigua, Barbados, Canada, Curacao, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Italy, Trinidad and Tobago, UK and the USA.
It is President Hussain’s view that “with oil and gas discoveries continuing in Guyana, all eyes are focused this way, and tournaments such as the Sir Garry Sobers Golf Festival can easily be held here. In fact, with increasingly easy airline access to Guyana, with the absolutely beautiful flora and fauna of our country, with the great hospitality of the Guyanese people and above all, with the abundance of land space available, Guyana can certainly become the pristine golf destination of the Caribbean region.”
