Jamaica’s Owen Samuda overcame stiff competition to claim victory at the Brooklyn Open, held at the Marine Park Golf Course in Brooklyn, USA, recently.
After an eight-year break from the event, Samuda’s perseverance paid off in his third attempt this year, as he secured the championship title with a stellar four-under-par 68 on the par-72 course. His one-stroke victory over runner-up Gabe Lee (69) marked a remarkable achievement.
The tournament’s championship division featured 29 players, with the contest proving highly competitive. Gabe Lee, a 40-year-old professional golfer from Queens, New York, was a formidable opponent. Andrew Giuliani and fellow Jamaican Luke Watson also put up strong performances, each shooting one-under-par 71 to tie for third place.
54-year-old caddy
Samuda, a 54-year-old caddy at the prestigious Pine Valley Golf Course in New Jersey—regarded as one of the top golf courses in the world—expressed his delight with his victory.
“It’s been about eight years since I last played in the Brooklyn Open,” Samuda shared. “When I heard about the tournament, I decided to enter and played a practice round a couple of days before the event to familiarize myself with the course again. The conditions were soft from two days of rain, but the greens were fast, so maintaining good speed was key. I was five-under through 13 holes, but then I made bogeys on holes eight and nine. Luckily, I birdied hole 10, which got me back to four-under. It was a shotgun start, so I began on hole 12 and finished on 11. I didn’t realize how well others were playing, so to win by one stroke was an incredible feeling.”
Samuda’s victory was a significant milestone in his golfing career, marking his first triumph at the Brooklyn Open.
