With laughter echoing across the fairways and the aroma of expertly prepared jerk filling the air, the fifth edition of the Sandals Golf and Jerk Festival came to a close on a high note at the Upton Estate Golf & Country Club last weekend. And Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation, lauded its success as more than just a day of sport and culinary delights, but more so as another powerful step toward transforming young lives.

"This tournament is not just about a great day of golf and food. For the past five years, it has helped us to build the capacity of healthcare along this corridor. We are extremely proud to have partnered with the St Ann’s Health Department, now helping to bring dental care into schools and provide services for people with special care and disabilities by helping to outfit mobile dental units," Clarke said.

Digicel's teams share a photo opportunity with their caddie.

Proceeds from this year's staging of the tournament, which serves as a prelude to the Travel Advisors tournaments, will fund mobile dental units that will serve children across St. Ann, a vital resource in a parish where access to such care is limited. At the same time, the event continues to drive the expansion of the Care for Kids Junior Golf Programme, a transformative initiative that uses golf to shape the lives of at-risk youth.

"Golf is a powerful teaching tool. Through our Care for Kids Junior Golf Programme, we’re teaching discipline, responsibility, and teamwork, not just how to swing a club. We’re helping these kids grow academically and personally. And thanks to events like this, we can keep the sport alive, keep the mentorship going, and keep building stronger futures for these children," Clarke declared.

Heidi Clarke (right) share a photo with Gross winners Jodi Munn-Barrow and Robert Chin.

This year’s competition once again attracted strong support, with 31 sponsors and partners, including Digicel Business, which fielded two teams headlined by Stephen Murad, CEO of Digicel Jamaica.

On the course, Tony Allison and Milon Roofe emerged as overall champions, as they posted an impressive score of 62. The team of Opeton Marshall and Raymond Rudd finished second with 62.7, while Zandre Roye and Cavani James, a pairing of past and current Care for Kids Junior golfers, claimed third with a score of 63.

Meanwhile, the Best Gross Score without handicap went to the duo of Jodi Munn-Barrow and Robert Chin, who carded a stellar 62.

The top jerk team is all smiles.

The culinary side of the festival was no less competitive, as teams battled in the much-loved Jerk competition. The title went to Team Beaches Ocho Rios, comprising Chef Garett Craig, Romario Bailey, and HEART Trainee Al-Dane Alexander, whose flavours wowed the judges and the crowd alike.

For the second year, the festival welcomed HEART/NSTA Trust trainees to the competition, giving them the opportunity to work alongside seasoned Sandals chefs and gain invaluable real-world hospitality experience.