FOUR-TIME winner and defending champion Avinash Persaud yesterday staked a strong claim to being crowned the Guyana Open Golf champion for the fifth time, when he finished the first day of the inaugural Digicel Guyana Open Golf Championships in the lead at the Lusignan Golf Course, yesterday.

However, American Jaipaul Suknanan is not letting Persaud, whose brother Avinda shot a gross 69 in last week Saturday’s Safeway Security sponsored tournament, out of his sights, as he finished with a gross 75 along with Persaud, setting the stage for an exciting final day today in the 0-9handicap.
Mike Mangal, the 2005 winner of the championships, is in second place behind Persaud and Suknanan with a gross 76.
In the B Flight (10-18 handicap), Roy Cummings has assumed the pole position with gross 81, but is closely followed by L. Ramsundar with 82, while Ayube Ally leads the C Flight (19-28 handicap) with gross 89, ahead of K.M. Chung who has a gross 91 at the end of the first day.

Seven time winner of the Championships on the distaff side, Guyanese Christine Sukhram is well poised to take the title for the eighth successive year, as she finished on top of the leader’s board with a net 65 and gross 75, after being handed a handicap of 10.
Guyanese Shenella Webster, who took overall top honours in the President’s Cup Tournament, one week before Avinda Persaud shot his gross 69, is in second position with a net 70 and gross 103, way ahead of the other female competitors, namely Joann Deo and Juliet Prince.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of Digicel (Guyana) Incorporated Gregory Dean, sent the 74 registered starters on their way at 05:45hrs yesterday morning, shortly after he executed the first tee to signal the commencement of the two-day tournament.
Prior to teeing off the championships, Dean said his company is pleased to partner with the Lusignan Golf Club to host the prestigious competition, even as he wished the players well during the championship.
“We’ve had a long association with the Lusignan Golf Club, but this is the first time we’re sponsoring the Guyana Open…and we hope it would be a long and successful marriage between the club and Digicel,” stated Dean.
Former Guyana and West Indies middle order batsman the 84 year old Joe Solomon, who was involved in the first tied Test match in history, is among the list of competitors who are vying for supremacy in the tournament which will culminate today with the presentation of the Digicel Red Jersey to the respective winners.

(Calvin Roberts)