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Panama’s Team 9 take Sandals golf tourney

Published:Friday | October 4, 2019 | 12:08 AMAinsley Walters/Gleaner Writer
Participants in the Sandals Latin American Travel Agents golf tournament at the Sandals Golf and Country Club in Upton, St Ann, on Sunday.
Participants in the Sandals Latin American Travel Agents golf tournament at the Sandals Golf and Country Club in Upton, St Ann, on Sunday.

Panama’s Team 9 of Julio Tapiero, Maurizio Cannizzaro, and Taryn Stanton extended their two-shot lead to a winning margin of five over Argentina’s Martin Monti, Alejandro Fraire, Juan Beltran, and Monica Bombicino, scoring 31 over nine holes for a second straight day to land the seventh Sandals Latin American Travel Agents golf tournament on Sunday.

Playing at Sandals Golf and Country Club in Upton, St Ann, in the second Travel Agents golf tournament hosted by the resort in a week, following a big group of 92 out of the United States, Team 9 put in another consistent round after Saturday’s 31 sent them ahead of the Argentines.

Finishing on 67, thirty-three on the opening day, and 34 on Sunday, Team 14 held on for second ahead of their Argentine countrymen, Team 4’s Daniel Zanikian, Federico Martinez, Alexis Forte, and Ruben Set, who shot 33 on Sunday after ending on 35 Saturday.

Lyndsay Isaacs, regional public relations manager, Ocho Rios region, said the Latin American Travel Agents again extended their outreach to the Exchange community, which the picturesque golf course calls home.

MARKETING JAMAICA

“Each year, the Latin American Travel Agents, before they hit the golf course to experience and better sell Jamaica as a golfing destination, venture into the Exchange community to hand out school supplies to hundreds of children,” said Isaacs.

Among three travel agents’ tournaments staged annually by Sandals Golf and Country Club, Team 4’s Martinez, who is on his first trip to Jamaica, said the contest makes it easy for his peers to market the island as a golfing destination.

“I think Jamaica as a golfing destination is a great market for Argentina, which, in South America, has one of the fastest-growing demands for golfing destinations,” he said.

“It’s perfect, the quality of service and the golf course. Plus the warmth and friendliness of the caddies make you feel at home. Once you come and experience the destination, it’s easy to sell it,” Martinez added.