Local players shine at GTT Guyana Open golf tournament

The GTT Guyana Open golf tournament concluded with a bang on Sunday evening, October 30, at the Lusignan Golf Club on the East Coast of Demerara. Guyanese players Avinash Persaud and Shanella London dominated their international competitors to secure victory in the respective male and female categories.

Limited to 80 participants, which included players from the United States, Canada, Fiji, Suriname and Barbados, the weekend competition was played in the format of a medal play over 36 holes, and
for the men, Persaud achieved the best gross and best net scores in the 0-9 category, and the best overall gross in the 0-28 category at the end of the two days with a gross score of 150.
Persaud emerged victorious ahead of Jalen Raman of Fiji, who scored 152 gross for second place; and Ridel Doekoe of Suriname, who scored 160 gross for third position.

For the females, Shanella London, who walked away with the longest drive on both days, gained a gross score of 171, and emerged victorious ahead of Christine Sukhram of Canada, who placed second with a score of 175, and Julie Stephenson of Barbados, who placed third with a score of 183.
During a cocktail reception for the players, Hilton Wong, Director of Business Solutions for GTT, said the company is devoted to the development of sports, and has demonstrated its commitment with similar sponsorship to other disciplines.
He added that it was a pleasure to collaborate with the Lusignan Golf Club to stage the tournament, and pledged the company’s continued support for LGC and the sport of golf.
“Sport in our country is a pilar of national pride, and we celebrate wins as a feeling of collective accomplishment…,” he declared. “Our support to this tournament for the second consecutive year is in part an example of our commitment and devotion to the development of the game of golf locally. The organizing of this tournament and every effort the Lusignan Golf Club has made to engineer an interest in the sport is very commendable”.
LGC President Patanjilee Persaud thanked the players for their sterling effort, and said the LGC executive continues to work aggressively towards new initiatives that would develop the sport, including improvement of the already scenic golf course.
“We want to continue to host teams with the same hospitality that we are granted whenever we travel to play. You would be aware that the development and maintenance of a course like this would take tremendous effort and commitment. Our executive continues to work diligently to ensure that we not only maintain this course, but we develop it along with other initiatives that will continue to attract awareness and love for the game,” he declared.
The GTT Guyana Open golf tournament is the largest golf competition in the country.