Local teen golfer makes one over par at 150th Open
(CNS): Caymanian golfer Aaron Jarvis made local history last week after completing the 150th Open golf tournament one over par, recording the second best score by an amateur golfer in the Championship. Jarvis (19) completed all four rounds at The Old Course, St Andrews, from Thursday through to Sunday.
He played alongside Major winners Sergio Garcia and Stewart Cink, having edged out golfing greats such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, according to a release from the Ministry of Tourism and Transport. The 150th Open was won by Cameron Smith of Australia, who was crowned Champion Golfer of the Year.
“I am proud to be the first golfer from the Cayman Islands to play in The Open,” said Jarvis after his impressive finish. “It has been an amazing experience and I appreciate all the support I have received from back home over the last few days.”
Aaron currently attends the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and was inspired to play golf after watching his older brother, Andrew, play in the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships when it was held in Cayman in 2013. After developing a passion for the sport, he moved to Florida for high school to train at the Leadbetter Junior Golf Academy.
Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan, who has been following Jarvis’ performance, congratulated him on behalf of the ministry and the Cayman Islands. “Aaron is an inspiring example of how passion, hard work, and dedication can help you achieve your dreams,” he said. “He is a wonderful ambassador for the Cayman Islands and we look forward to watching his progress over the next few years.”
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Category: Local News, Sports
Keep up the great work, Aaron. We are very proud of you.
Well done son! You played the best course in the best wee country in the world! Cayman should rightly be proud of you and your achievements. The naysayers probably get their exercise opening their car window at Burger King.
Congrats, Aaron! God bless and keep you…you are truly doing amazing in your sport!!
Absolutely awesome Aaron, congratulations!
Anyone in Government care to answer why the Minister of Tourism is the Government spokesman on this matter and not the Minister of Sports? Curious.
Golf originally was just a fun way of enjoying a good walk (or spoiling it depending on how you play). Now it has been commercialized with big money and little walking, it is only barely a sport with memberships to clubs by invitation only and tee times based on your community status and fees beyond the reach of the average person. So, call it a sport if you wish, but it is a selective one.
Yes well walking around St. Andrews each day is about 10km, whilst playing in varying conditions – heat, cold, wind and rain last week, whilst under enormous mental pressure, so hardly little walking and barely a sport. You seem to be very selective in your comments. Its a sport.
Why shouldn’t the Tourism Minister congratulate a fellow Caymanian for putting the Cayman Islands on the map in yet another positive way? P.S. the Minister of Sports also congratulated Mr. Jarvis on his noteworthy achievement – did you miss it? Congrats Aaron, we are ALL proud of you.
So amazing! Proud of all these young Caymanian athletes breaking barriers on the international stage. I don’t understand why someone is downvoting all the congratulatory posts. If you downvote my post, please explain why this isn’t a feel good story? I’d really like to know.
Big up big up, very proud of you back home!
Hope you be like another Tiger Wood. Congrats we are proud of you.
amazing considering cayman has no real driving range or proper practise facility.
This cannot be understated.
I hope his story provides inspiration for other young athletes from Cayman who may be limiting themselves by the stories they tell themselves.
Congrats Aaron- some young person in Cayman needed to hear your story today to remind them of what IS possible.
Check out Cayman Golf Lab that has just reopened. They offer junior lesson packages and a state of the art indoor practice facility.
Anyone giving thumbs down to these positive comments and Aaron’s amazing achievement, either made a mistake or is a complete idiot! Great performance Aaron, and it’s safe to say, most are proud of you.
Fantastic achievement. Just a shame Tiger King beat Rory
CONGRATS to Aaron and his family…great !!!!! accomplishment for a 19yr AM to make the cut at a Major and play alongside all the big boys….keep it up and one day Cayman will be able to say we have a PGA Champ !!!!!!
Great achievement Aaron.
Congrats
Best amateur in the competition as well – amazing.
Wrong.
Really? Looked at the results list – was the first golfer with a a suffix. So which amateur beat him since you know better?
Filippo Celli, since you know nothing about golf.
I hope you pause for a second and think about whether it’s a good thing to be so unpleasant and to be so awful even on an anonymous message board. Take a breath and think about it.
Took a pause, still good. Appreciate your concern.
You’re welcome. Keep throwing those bad vibes into the world if it makes you happy. Maybe one day you’ll change your mind.
9.08 – Maybe the OP looked at the PGA website which did not show an ‘a’ next to Celli. Regardless did it deserve your ignorant responses? Grow up.
Maybe the OP should have thought twice prior to being so belligerent in their incorrect rebuttal.
Ok you must have very thin skin.
Depends which result list you are looking at. The official list has him as 2nd amateur, behind Celli. That list also correctly shows the Cayman flag, whilst some showed the USA stars & stripes.
Goes to show be careful what you believe. Just because it’s on the internet it might not be right!
Not far wrong – he was second best Amateur – making the cut is amazing
Wrong. The Italian guy was
Sorry: an Italian amateur surnamed Celli was the leading amateur. Not to detract from Aaron’s achievement which was incredible. Well done, Aaron.
No, second best. But still, well done.
2nd best amateur
Congratulations young Mr. Jarvis.
Great accomplishment.
All the best to you in the future.