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JMMB CUP SIZZLES ON MATCH DAY 2, FATHER’S DAY COOK-OFF BIG WINS FOR JMMB EAGLES, BUCCANNEERS IN JMMB CUP
Match day 2 of the JMMB Cup was played on Sunday at Constant Spring Golf Club and saw Buccaneers of Caymanas, Ocean Spray Springs and JMMB Eagles all win their matches and with one round left to play, five of the six teams still have a chance at qualifying for the two final spots. The Buccaneers of Caymanas, who control their own destiny, moved to the brink of qualifying for the July 26 final of the JMMB Cup yesterday, after registering their second consecutive win in the six-team match-play tournament at the Constant Spring Golf Course in St. Andrew. The Buccaneers, who needed a sudden death play-off hole to win on match day one, produced a more convincing victory over the previously unbeaten SportsMax Max Pak, 5.5 matches to 4.5 matches yesterday.
Buccaneers captain Metry Seaga says each member of his team showed fighting spirit in their 10 matches, which went down to the wire.
“We prevailed in the end with Donald Chong winning the last match for us, which brought us home,” Seaga said, noting that his players acclimatized to the difficult Constant Spring Course pretty early.
“This course is shorter, it’s tighter and trickier and doesn’t allow you (players) to make any mistakes. But my team obviously handled it reasonably well because we were able to come out victorious,” he added.
Meanwhile, a one-hour interruption caused by lightening which accompanied thunder showers between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm, could not dampen the performances of the Ocean Spray Springs and the JMMB Eagles who scored maiden wins in the tournament.
The Springs took full advantage of their home court, completing a 6.5 to 3.5 victory over the Sandals Surfers. Playing on their home course, the Springs were leading 4 to 3 prior to the lightening-forced break. Springs skipper Tony Gooden said the delay did not affect his charges, who bounced back from the sudden death playoff defeat to the Buccaneers on match day one.
“We only had two matches left out there (on the course), one at 17 and one at 18 and we won both as expected,” Gooden posited. “We knew we would bounce back, having slipped-up on match day one. We will be playing Advantage Generals next on their home course at Cinnamon Hill (July 12), but not all members of their team knows that course, so we should be evenly matched and I’m confident we will come out on top,” he reasoned. The Generals of Montego Bay, who had beaten the Sandals Surfers 7-3 on match day one at Caymanas, suffered an even bigger defeat at the hands of pre-tournament favourites JMMB Eagles.
The Eagles, who were faced with a must-win situation to have a chance of making the July 26 final at the Upton Golf Course in Ocho Rios, did not disappoint, thrashing the Generals 7.5 to 2.5. Roger Braham, who captains the Eagles, said he was never in doubt about a victory.
“We had some team practices and motivated our players because to achieve anything in life you have to do it twice; first in the mind and then on the course,” an elated Braham noted. “We are looking forward to Cinnamon Hill (July 12) because we are exactly where we want to be now and looking forward to playing the Buccaneers down there,” he added.
Matchday 3 will have the Advantage Generals, on their home course at Cinnamon Hill in Montego Bay, going against the Ocean Spray Springs with the winner going on to the Final as the Zone 1 champion. JMMB Eagles will face the Buccaneers of Caymanas and SportsMax Max Pak will face the Sandals Surfers with all three teams from Zone 2 having a chance to qualify for the Final.
In the meantime, JMMB Eagles had reason to celebrate twice at the Fathers’ Day edition of the match play tournament, having beaten the Advantage Generals in the JMMB Cup cook-off. The Eagles, who prepared jerk pork with pimento sticks and leaves prevailed 102 to 91 over the Generals. The Ocean Spray Springs won the beef battle over the Sandals Surfers 102 to 90, while SportsMax Max Pak with their guava glazed jerk chicken edged out the Buccaneers 99 to 98 on the judges’ score cards.
