Red-hot Richards Jr storms back to defend T&T Golf Open title in dramatic finish

2026-03-16 - 00:08

Defending champion Chris Richards Jr produced a brilliant final-round charge to retain his crown at the T&T Golf Open, edging St Lucia’s Yadhu Urs by a single stroke after a gripping finale at St Andrews Golf Club in Moka, Maraval on Sunday. Richards entered the decisive round trailing Urs, who held a two-stroke advantage overnight, but the T&T golfer delivered a composed performance when it mattered most. Richards fired a steady two-over-par round highlighted by five birdies, gradually climbing the leaderboard before overtaking the leaders late in the round. His surge carried him to a winning total of five-over-par, securing back-to-back T&T Open titles. The victory also marked Richards’ third consecutive tournament win, coming on the heels of two recent triumphs in the United States, confirming that the in-form golfer is enjoying one of the hottest streaks of his career. Urs, representing St Lucia, appeared poised to claim the prestigious title after holding the lead entering the final round. However, six bogeys ultimately proved costly as he slipped back to finish at six-over-par overall, just one stroke behind Richards Jr in a tense battle down the stretch. Behind the leading duo, there was significant movement on the leaderboard during the final round. Adrian Norford of St Kitts and Nevis produced the best round of the day, a super one-over-par effort to surge into third place on 12-over-par for the tournament. First-round leader Liam Bryden of T&T slipped to fourth position, also finishing on 12-over-par, while fellow T&T golfer Ross Ramkissoon rounded out the top five. In the Ladies Division, Jamaica’s Jodi Munn-Barrow delivered another commanding performance to successfully defend her title. Munn-Barrow led the tournament from start to finish and closed with a winning total of 25-over-par. T&T’s Victoria Seenath finished second at 34-over-par, while compatriot Isabella Ramdeen secured third place at 37-over-par. Elise La Borde of T&T finished fourth with 44-over-par, and Kahlan Francis of T&T completed the top five on 48-over-par. In the First Flight division, Adam Green captured the title with a score of 29-over-par. William Bedford and Courtney Edwards shared second place, both finishing on 33-over-par. Overnight leader Dushyant Sookram slipped to fourth position after closing the tournament at 35-over-par. The Second Flight crown went to T&T’s Nandlal Ramlakhan, who finished with 50-over-par. Fellow T&T golfer Rafael Rosa claimed a share of second place at 55-over-par alongside Canada’s Pramie Shadoo. In the Seniors Division, T&T’s Richard Camacho secured the title with a strong total of 10-over-par. Barbados’ Scott Stollmeyer finished second on 16-over-par, while T&T’s Neil Latchmansingh placed third at 20-over-par. Jamaica’s Mark Newnham claimed fourth place at 26-over-par. The field also featured several well-known sporting figures. T&T football legend Russell Latapy finished 10th at 34-over-par, while West Indies cricket icon Brian Lara placed 14th on 36-over-par. In the Super Seniors, T&T dominated the podium. John Holley captured the title with 27-over-par, ahead of fellow T&T golfers Wayne Baptiste, who finished second on 29-over-par, and Hollis George, who secured third place at 31-over-par. John Hale took the Masters Division title ahead of second-place Louis de Melillac and Ahamad Ali in third. With dramatic finishes across multiple divisions, strong regional representation and a champion in blazing form, the latest edition of the T&T Open concluded in memorable fashion, highlighted by Richards Jr’s thrilling comeback and continued dominance on the Caribbean golf stage. Men’s Championship Division Gross 1 Chris Richards 221 (73, 74, 74) 2 Yadhu Urs 222 (72, 73, 77) 3 Adrian Norford 228 (77, 79, 72) 4 Liam Bryden 228 (70, 79, 79) 5 Ross Ramkissoon 231 (74, 79, 78) 6 Bobby Edghill 235 (82, 77, 76) 7 Xzavier Wiggins 235 (80, 78, 78) 8 Shane Costello 235 (82, 73, 80) 9 Daniel Enrique Vanososte 238 (83, 78, 77) 10 Jerseem Boodram 242 (79, 86, 77) 11 Gabriel Vanososte 242 (88, 76, 78) 12 Zico Correia 243 (87, 74, 82) Ladies Divison Gross 1 Jodi Munn- Barrow 242 (79, 79, 84) 2 Victoria Seenath 246 (84, 82, 85) 3 Isabella Ramdeen 253 (87, 88, 78) 4 Elise La Borde 262 (91, 85, 86) 5 Kahlan Francis 260 (90, 90, 91) 6 Emilie Ramsahai 266 (90, 90, 91) 7 Tori De Freitas-Baptiste 262 8 Ingrid Seeberan 277 (93, 95) 9 Violet Roopchan 282 (101, 98)