Jones, Smith and Augustus qualify for Butterfield Bermuda Championship - The Royal Gazette - United Kingdom News Beep

Created: Sep 09, 2026 03:34 PM (Updated: Sep 10, 2026 12:31 PM)

Camiko Smith, left, Nick Jones and Daniel Augustus secured the three spots in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship Local Qualifier at Port Royal Golf Course (Photograph by Blaire Simmons)

Nick Jones, Camiko Smith and Daniel Augustus have plenty to look forward to after securing the three spots up for grabs in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship Local Qualifier at Port Royal Golf Course

Jones finished as the top qualifier in the 36-hole event at 1 over, followed by fellow professionals Smith at 2 over and Augustus a farther three shots back at 5 over.

Jones and Smith will tee off in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship next month while Augustus has an automatic entry in 2027 after organisers revised the format.

The battle for the qualifying spots remained wide open heading into the final round with seven players within five shots of overnight leader Kenny Leseur, who held a two-shot advantage over the chasing pack.

Nick Jones topped the field to qualify for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship for the third time (Photograph by Blaire Simmons)

Leseur was cruising along at even par before his stroll around the par-71 golf course took a turn for the worse after he three-putted for a double bogey at the 11th to leave Smith and Jones tied for the lead at two over.

The Port Royal professional’s qualifying hopes were cruelly dashed with successive bogeys at 12 and 13, another double at 14 and a triple at Port Royal’s signature 16th green after hooking his tee shot into the water .

Ocean View Golf Course teaching professional Jones carded back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13 to grab the lead outright but was quickly rejoined by Smith at the summit after dropping a shot on the very next hole.

The see-saw battle at the top between the pair continued with Jones regaining the outright lead for good after Smith carded his only bogey of the round at the 16th.

Daniel Augustus is set to make his second appearance in next year’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship (Photograph by Blaire Simmons)

Augustus, who played in the same group with Smith, got off to a horrendous start after carding a bogey and two doubles on the first four holes.

However, the 39-year-old made a sensational recovery as he carded two birdies on a bogey-free back nine to pip fellow professional Quinton Sherlock Jr for the third and final qualifying spot by two shots.

Top qualifier Jones was delighted to see his hard work pay off after qualifying for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship for the third time.

“Hard work paid off and I was able to stay steady,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“My putting was good and I hit the ball consistently well and very happy with how I played.

“I was just two shots back coming into today and Kenny just messed up coming in at the end there. He always plays well and l was kind of on his coat tails just trying to stay close to him and unfortunately he just slipped off at the end and I was able to persevere.

Camiko Smith will make his fourth appearance in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship this year (Photograph by Blaire Simmons)

“I changed up my putter and my caddie Steven Almeida, whose company sponsored me for this event, I’m very thankful for as I would not have been able to play without him, so I want to give a big shoutout to him.”

Smith had mixed emotions after qualifying for the main event for the fourth time on the golf course situated right beside his family’s residence.

“It feels pretty cool, very excited and grateful for everything. It means a lot,” he said.

“Teary-eyed in saying this, but it’s for grandpa [Clarence Smith] and Carla [aunt Carla Hill] among other people.

“I was three back of the lead heading into today and the mindset was basically just stick with the process — and my caddie James Needham helped me do that.

“Every shot I hit was reset, refocus, and that’s what I did. I stuck with it and that was my mindset.”

The Port Royal professional said qualifying for the fourth time was even more exciting than in previous years.

Overnight leader Kenny Leseur’s qualifying hopes were dashed after coming undone on the back nine (Photograph by Blaire Simmons)

“This feels more exciting; this one was a grind and then the year has been a bit funky,” he said.

“This year is very exciting for me and a lot more gratitude to be able to do this again. I’m 41 so I can still keep up with the young guys. It’s really cool, it’s right in my yard again.

“Not having my grandpa this year sucks but it’s a big one for him so I have a lot to play for.”

Ocean View professional Augustus was thrilled to have qualified for the Butterfield Bermuda Championship for the second time.

“Obviously I would like to play this year but I’m glad that I don’t have to qualify next year and go through the pressure of this,” he said.

“I probably should not have done what I did on the front nine both days, but that’s the beauty of golf. You have 18 holes to rectify whatever you do and just did my best after my poor starts.

“At the end of the day it’s just another experience in golf. It can change my life or just be another tournament. The key is to enjoy it, learn from it and hopefully improve.

“My game is coming and I am like a train. It takes me a while to get moving but once I get going I’m hard to stop. My game is going in a good direction, just have to cut out the mistakes and I will be okay.”

Local Qualifier

Final leaderboard

1 Nick Jones +1

2 Camiko Smith +2

3 Daniel Augustus +5

4 Quinton Sherlock +7

5 Johnny Bart +8

T6 Oliver Betschart +10

T6 Anthony Phipps +10

T6 Kenneth Leseur +10

T9 Adam Perry +11

T9 Jarryd Dillas +11

T11 Christopher Smith +13

T11 Christian Collins +13

T11 Chaka DeSilva +13

14 Dwayne Pearman +17

T15 Will Haddrell +18

T15 Andrew Trott-Francis +18

17 Christopher Grantier +20

18 Cornell Bean +21

19 Damon Smith +25

20 Steven Lambert +26

T21 Lester Cox +29

T21 Jon Denney +29

23 Arman Newton +31

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