Rain put damper on inaugural BMW Classic

THE POOR weather which affected the island last weekend put a damper on the inaugural BMW Jamaica Golf Classic at Cinnamon Hill in Montego Bay, but president of the Jamaica Golf Association, Peter Chin, believes the tournament still has immense potential and that weather permitting, the tournament will be an even more attractive prospect next year.

From Friday last week through to Sunday, the island experienced poor weather conditions, and as a result, the tournament at Cinnamon Hill was played under unfavourable conditions and Chin thought this affected spectator turnout as well as the overall quality of the golf.

“We had problems with the weather, and a lot of people were unaware the tournament was going on ... and because it’s a professional tournament, even if it rain you play. Only when you have lightning you come off the course. So spectators, unless they are real diehards, they are not going to go on the course.

“Also a lot of the spectators come from Kingston, and I know a lot of people from Kingston who were going to go down on the weekend, but because of the bad weather, it just did not materialise ... so it was hampered from that standpoint. But in spite of that some good golf was played and the players were very impressed by the course and the Jamaican assets, so it augurs well,” he said.

Professional golf in Jamaica took a four-year respite, and the association was hoping that the BMW Classic would have given Jamaica a successful return to the PGA tour, but despite the weekend’s shortcoming, Chin is confident that next year will be better, and even looks forward to extending the relationship with the PGA.

“It’s a three-year contract, so the arrangement is for this tournament to be here for the next two years. Hopefully next year, we will get better weather. But if sponsors are satisfied they are getting a good return on their investment, and if the PGA are satisfied that we are putting on a good show, I don’t see why it wouldn’t continue,” he said

The tournament was won by American Jared Wolfe.