By STAFF WRITER, Guardian Sports Desk

With over 100 golfers and a record number of sponsors, the Bahamas Hotel Association's (BHA) 2006 fundraising golf tournament was a huge success. Over $20,000 was raised from the tournament which will be used to support BHA's educational efforts. Half of that amount will be placed into the BHA's scholarship fund.

"We are extremely pleased with the support from sponsors, the golfers and companies which donated prizes for the tournament," stated BHA President Earle Bethell. "Since the tournament's inception in 1999, the Bahamas Hotel Association has been able to contribute over $180,000 to support hurricane relief and a variety of education, training and industry development programs that ultimately benefit the community," he added.

This year's tournament supporters included: Abaco Beach Resort; American Eagle; American Express; Anthony's Bar & Grill; Asa H. Pritchard; Avis Rent-A-Car; Bacardi; Bahamas Ferries; Bahamas Food Services; Bahamas Wholesale Agencies; Banka Del Sempione; Best Western Bay View Village; Blackbeard's Cay; Bristol Cellars; British Colonial Hilton; BTC; Butterfield Bank; Caribbean Bottling; Cavalier Construction; Clipper Group; Club Land'Or; Comfort Suites; Continental Connection; Colombian Emeralds; D'Albenas Agency; Deloitte & Touche; Dockendale Shipping; Dolphin Encounters; Fidelity Bank; Glinton Sweeting O'Brien Attorneys; Global Consultants; Gomez Partners & Co.; Graham Thompson & Co.; Graycliff; Green Turtle Cay Club; Guarantee Trust Bank; Hard Rock Café; Indigo Restaurant; Interchem; JP Morgan; JS Johnson; Jay Stelzer & Associates; Kerzner International; Lennox Paton; Luciano's Restaurant; Lyford Cay Club; Mandara Spa; Nassau Beach Hotel; Nassau Motor Company; Nassau Underwriters Agency; Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board; Old Bahama Bay; Oneworld Communications; Pannell Kerr Foster; Pepsi; Poop Deck; Port Lucaya Resort & Yacht Club; Portofino Restaurant; PricewaterhouseCoopers; Prime Bahamas; Quencom; Royal Star Assurance; Sandals Royal Bahamian; Scotiabank; Senor Frogs; Sports Spine & Rehabilitation Center; Stuart Cove's; Sunshine Insurance; The Mailboat; Treasure Cay Hotel; Villaggio; Westin & Sheraton at Our Lucaya; Wong's Rubber Stamp and the Wyndham Nassau Resort.

Capturing the top prize for most points at the event was the team of Ken Gibson and Warren Warhead. BHA Senior Vice President Michael Hooper was the tournament chairperson.