GoodHeart | Int’l golfer Roisin Scanlon to host charity golf event in Ja
Funds raised will support hurricane relief efforts in Trelawny
Published:Saturday | December 13, 2025 | 12:08 AMKrysta Anderson /Staff Reporter
‘Tis the season for giving, now more than ever. Following the devastation of Hurricane Melissa, international golfer Roisin Scanlon is hosting a charity golf event on December 21 at the Constant Spring Golf Club to raise relief funds for those affected in Trelawny, her mother’s home parish.
“Hurricane Melissa was so devastating, not only for the community, but for my family as well. And, because I love Jamaica and its people, I wanted to help,” the 18-year-old athlete explained to GoodHeart.
The 2025 Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open champion, born in the United Kingdom, is currently attending boarding school in The Bahamas. Jamaica, however, holds a special place in her heart as it is her mother’s birthplace.
“I currently live in The Bahamas, going back and forth between here and England, where I am from. But I’ve been to Jamaica a few times. That’s where my mom is from and I’ve always been super close to her side of the family,” Scanlon revealed.
Scanlon said her connection to the Caribbean influenced her move to the Bahamas, “Although the Bahamas isn’t Jamaica, it’s still in the Caribbean and I love the culture in the Caribbean.”
Introduced to golf at an early stage, she began playing the sport at just four years old. “I played it recreationally and then I grew to love it so much. My parents couldn’t take me away from the golf course. I started taking it a little bit more seriously when I was seven,” the athlete recounted, adding, “I got my first handicap and I started getting individual lessons because I started off having group lessons with other children my age. I then moved to The Bahamas where I got to refine my skills, because golf in England, the weather isn’t that great.”
Currently studying on a golf scholarship, she continues to be guided by her coach in the 242. Since then, Scanlon has enjoyed significant success in her athletic career. At 12 years old, she won the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship, becoming the youngest player ever to achieve this milestone.
Earlier this year, she won the Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open. Reflecting on this victory, the young sports star shared, “Winning this tournament was a big step for me because I’ve done really well, but it had been a while since I had won. So, to win something that big... it wasn’t just a junior tournament.”
Adding to that monumental moment was the sheer joy of having her parents watch her play and beam with great pride as they witnessed her win. “Both of my parents are athletes and they have driven me with their go-getting and disciplined mindset, particularly my mom. She pursued track and field, and even competed in the Commonwealth Games. They inspire me and support me in everything that I do,” she said.
GOLF AND GRATITUDE
With plans to attend Texas Tech University in August for the fall, Scanlon is taking this Christmas season to focus her efforts closer to home, raising funds for communities in Trelawny, “It was important to give back to my mother’s hometown and parish, because my mom is my everything. With the hurricane, I know that not everybody has even basic necessities. And I would love nothing more than to give back to the place where I am from and the community that has shaped me to be the person that I am today.”
Though the golfer had already set up a GoFundMe with her mother to raise as much support as possible, she wanted to do more, leading her to organise a charity golf event called Golf and Gratitude.
“We’re trying to put on this event to raise even more money, so that we can help those in need. I’ll be giving guided golf lessons to anyone and everyone– from people who have never touched a golf club to intermediate players. There’ll be beverages and drinks there for people who attend,” Scanlon explained.
The initiative aims not only to raise funds for rural areas of Jamaica but also to showcase black women representation in a sport long dominated by white men.
“Growing up as a black female, there was no one on television who played the sport that looked like me. My parents were the closest thing I had as athletes to look up to. Representation is really important. It has a profound impact on people as well. Some younger black girls from back home and from Europe, where I’ve played, have looked up to me, even though I don’t personally think that I’ve reached the stage where I should be looked up to yet. But it’s good that they’re seeing a role model who they can identify with,” she highlighted.
With God and family as her inspiration, Scanlon aims to advance her career, possibly playing on the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour, and inspire more people to enjoy the sport,
“Bringing golf to Jamaica in this light, I hope we can inspire even more people to get involved in the game of golf so that they can develop a greater love for the sport. So [while] the aim is to raise money, we [also] want to raise awareness and make the sport more accessible to the wider public.”