Couples puts for charity

file - From left, Alex Ghisays, Couples Resorts' Group PR director and tournament organiser, Jane Saks, Paul Issa, director Couples Resorts, Josie Kline, Gene Saks and Alan Kline. The Saks and the Klines are multiple repeat guests of Couples Ocho Rios and are the brainchild behind the tournament.

The Port Maria Hospital, the Swift-Purcell Boys Home and the Three Hills Primary School, in St. Mary, are to receive an injection of $1.7 million from the combined Couples Ocho Rios and Couples Sans Souci Annual Golf Tournament.

The resort plans to refurbish and re-roof a building to house the new X-ray equipment purchased last year. The hotel has been operating without an X-ray machine for several years.

The Swift-Purcell Boys Home will receive a new cafeteria, while certain sections of the primary school are to be upgraded from the funds. "Our aim is to furnish the school with new desks and chairs," said Alex Ghisays, group public relations director.

Held respectively during the 29th and 1st anniversary celebrations of the resorts recently, the event, which is in its sixth year, surpassed the purse of previous times.

The tournament the brainchild of repeat guests, Gene and Jane Saks and Alan and Josie Kline of United States cities Florida and Arizona respectively. To date the tournament has raised $6 million for local charities in the parish.

72 players

The tournament attracted 72 players, many of them local. Once again mobile giant Digicel, came on as the main sponsor, with support coming from Aqua Sun, Cool Corporation, Dolphin Cove, Fraser Fontaine & Kong, Gem Palace, Issa Transport Group, Pan Caribbean, Polka Dots, Royal Shop, Bijoux Jewellers, West Indies Alliance, American Home Assurance, Globe Insurance, NEM, UGI, BCIC, ICWI and General Accident.

First prize in the Open Division went to Roger Braham & Louis Lyn who won a three-night stay at Couples Sans Souci, while the first prize in the Mixed Division went to Mary Kay Munster-Tiger and Gerard Fontaine, who won three-night stays at Couples Ocho Rios.

Maggie Lyn, Jamaica's top female golfer, placed second in the Mixed Division along with husband, Bruce, and also won the Closest to the Line and Closest to the Pin (female) prizes, taking home a two-night stay at Couples Sans Souci, a Nicklaus Driver and a Digicel mobile phone.