The second edition of the Saint Lucia Golf Open drew to a close on Sunday, May 3, at the scenic Sandals Saint Lucia Golf & Country Club, bringing with it a series of historic firsts, unexpected outcomes, and dominant local performances that underscored the tournament’s growing regional and international appeal.
This year’s competition attracted 118 registered golfers hailing from 15 different countries, marking a 34-player increase from the tournament’s inaugural 2024 holding – a clear sign of the Saint Lucia Golf Open’s rising traction in the Caribbean golf circuit.
In the team competition for the coveted President’s Cup, Barbados claimed the top honor after three days of intense play. The Barbadian side posted a cumulative score of 228, securing first place after the host Saint Lucian team struggled through a challenging second round that derailed their early lead. Host nation Saint Lucia ultimately finished second with a total score of 240, climbing past Antigua and Barbuda on the final day of play to claim the silver medal position. Antigua and Barbuda landed third with 241, followed by Jamaica four strokes off the pace, and Trinidad and Tobago a further 11 strokes behind third place.
The 2025 tournament marked a major milestone for Caribbean golf with the introduction of the first-ever Professional Division, and the title went to Trinidad and Tobago’s Benjamin Martin. Martin carded a three-round total of 6-over-par 219, edging out American contender Chris Johnson by two strokes to take home the $7,500 top prize. Martin carded a 35 over his final nine holes, compared to Johnson’s 37, to lock in the historic win. Host golfer Ryan Daniel finished with a total score of 251 in the new professional division.
In the Championship Division, Australia’s Dean Richards, a competitor on the U.S. collegiate golf circuit, outperformed the field to take gold. Richards delivered his best performance in the final round, shooting a one-under-par 72 to finish with a total of 225, three strokes ahead of second-place finisher Xzavier Wiggins of Barbados, who posted 228. Saint Lucian golfers Keymani Thomas and Harith Khan tied for third place with matching 244 totals. All top-ranked finishers in this division earned valuable points toward their World Amateur Golf Ranking, boosting the tournament’s competitive credibility.
Local golfers turned in a series of standout performances across divisions, with Saint Lucian players claiming four total victories throughout the week. In the Ladies Division, Catherine Spooner – who finished second in 2024 – secured the top spot with three consistent rounds, all scoring under 90, for a cumulative total of 263. She beat Jamaica’s Lisa Gardner by a single stroke to take the title.
Saint Lucian golfers swept the entire podium in the overall Men’s Division. Habib Chreiki claimed gold with a 254 total, followed by Samuel Richelieu at 256, and Andre Dhanpaul at 257 to round out the local sweep. The Seniors Division title also stayed on home soil, with Tim Mangal carding a 222 to beat Jamaica’s Sean Morris (229) and Barbados’ Scott Stollmeyer (230). In the two-day Masters Division, Saint Lucia’s David March claimed the crown with a 173 total, followed by Barbados’ Ivan Codrington (175) and local golfer Peter Devaux (176) in second and third place respectively.
The tournament also delivered a highlight moment that any golfer dreams of: Brandon Malon scored a spectacular hole-in-one, earning a complimentary 2-ball round at the renowned Cabot golf resort as a reward for his impressive feat.
Looking ahead, Dwayne King, public relations officer for the Saint Lucia Golf Association, framed the 2025 tournament as another step forward for the event. “With each passing year, the Saint Lucia Open reaches new heights – and the next edition is already shaping up to be the most ambitious yet,” King said. Building on the momentum of this year’s successful launch of the Professional Division, King noted that organizers plan to expand the competitor field, increase prize purses, and grow the tournament’s reach across the Caribbean and beyond, teasing upcoming announcements that will excite golf fans across the region and globally.