Damian Palanyandi ready to defend Four-Ball title

Colin Thompson

Created: Jan 31, 2025 07:45 PM (Updated: Jan 31, 2025 07:46 PM)

Damian Palanyandi and team-mate Jarryd Dillas will begin their Bermuda Four-Ball Championship title defence at Port Royal Golf Course on Saturday (File photograph by Akil Simmons)

Damian Palanyandi and team-mate Jarryd Dillas begin their defence of the Bermuda Four-Ball Championship at Port Royal Golf Course this weekend.

The pair are gunning for a fifth straight men’s title competing among a formidable field which includes fellow title contenders Jevon Roberts and Oliver Betschart.

“I am excited to compete in the 2025 Bermuda Four-Ball Championship,” Palanyandi told The Royal Gazette. “It’s always one of the top events the Bermuda Golf Association puts on and one I look forward to each year.

Defending Bermuda Four-Ball champions Jarryd Dillas, left, and Damian Palanyandi (File photograph supplied)

“Hopefully Jarryd and I can put up numbers as good as last year. But regardless of the outcome I look forward to the camaraderie and laughs along the way.

“The wind should make this weekend interesting with it coming strong out of the south on Saturday before easing a bit and swinging around from the north on Sunday.”

Also back to defend their ladies title is the team of Ann Symonds and Tracy Burgess, who is looking forward to what promises to be an exciting and tough battle in their division.

“It is a tough field of competitors,” Burgess said. “It is anybody’s game and I think we have just good a chance as anybody else of winning again.”

Defending Bermuda Four-Ball Championship ladies champions Ann Symonds, left, and Tracy Burgess (File photograph supplied)

Burgess and Symonds will be up against title contenders Lisa Down and Katrin Burnie and Kim Botelho and Darina Betschart, among other challengers.

“We have some good contenders out there this year. There’s 18 ladies in total participating in a Bermuda Golf Association event, which is really good to see,” Burgess said.

“I think it’s a good turnout by the ladies and it should be an exciting event right down to the finish.”

A new champion will be crowned in the senior men’s event as last year’s winners Craig Christensen and Miles Stephens are not back to defend their title, with the team of Mark Ray and Michael Wells among those expected to be in contention for honours.

The men’s championship consists of 23 teams, the ladies event has nine and the senior men’s competition will be contested by eight pairs.

Action gets under way at 7.30am at the first and tenth tee boxes on Saturday and Sunday.