One of Bermuda’s top amateur golfers has been denied entry into the Johnnie Walker Classic at Ocean View Golf Course this weekend.

Oliver Betschart’s hopes of competing at the tournament this year have been dashed because he is now ineligible after a revision to the competition’s rules.

Event organisers have raised the minimum age required to compete in the 36-hole event to 18 and that has ruled out the 17-year-old amateur, who has vented his frustration over the new policy.

“I’m very disappointed to be ruled ineligible for this year’s Johnnie Walker Classic because of my age,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“I have played the last two years, winning low amateur in 2023 and finishing fourth-best amateur in 2024, so it makes little sense that I’m suddenly not allowed to compete at 17.

“This is one of the few Bermuda events where top pros and amateurs meet, and it’s frustrating to be left out.”

OJ Pitcher, acting professional at Ocean View, declined to comment on the situation when approached by The Royal Gazette yesterday.

Betschart has enjoyed another stellar year after picking up two victories on the Gosling’s Moongate Tour and winning the Cedarberry Bowl on home soil as well as claiming age-group honours at the Prestige Tour Hill Country Open in Texas.

He also reached the final stage of US Amateur Championship qualifying, won the Bermuda Four-Ball Championship with fellow amateur Jevon Roberts and had the honour of representing Bermuda in the Latin America Amateur Championship in Argentina and Junior Pan American Games in Paraguay.

Ironically, the promising golfer secured a second win of the year on the Moongate Tour at Ocean View last weekend after finishing tied for first with fellow amateur Jamie MacMillan and professional Nick Jones, who all carded one-under 69 in the penultimate round of this year’s championship.

MacMillan, who represented Bermuda at the Island Games in Orkney this summer, was thrilled to pick up his first win and also produced his lowest round at Ocean View.

“I am very pleased at a pretty solid round,” he said. “I have been putting in some good practice time and it all came together. “It was nice to see it come together in a tournament as it’s one thing that I’ve struggled with. I can get around but when it comes to tournament time sometimes the pressure adds up, so it’s nice to get one over the line when it matters.”

Professionals Daniel Augustus and Dwayne Pearman finished tied for fourth at even par to round out the top five in the field.

Tariqah Walikraam, the only woman in the field, finished tied for sixth with Will Haddrell at one over.

“I was pleased with my performance,” Walikraam said.

“I only had three bad holes and one of them was a double bogey, but things happen and that’s golf.

“Overall I was striking the ball really well and was just trying to get on the green and in the fairway on every hole and stick to the regular routine.”

Betschart is the only player achieving multiple victories on the tour this year while MacMillan and Jones captured their first.

Professionals Kenny Leseur, Chris Smith and Pearman, and amateur Damian Palanyandi are the remaining winners on the tour this year.

With one medal event remaining, the race for the coveted Order of Merit remains wide open with Leseur holding a 100-point advantage over nearest rival and defending champion Pearman.

Smith, the remaining player in contention for the title, sits in third a farther 25 points off the pace.