Alex Zhang and Joshua Ince tied for the lead in the Junior Championship
North Bay, Ont. – Team Ontario finished with a combined score of 5-under to win the Junior Inter-Provincial Team Championship on Tuesday at the 2023 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO.
Team Ontario carried a one-shot lead into the final round of the team competition at the North Bay Golf and Country Club in North Bay, Ont. Ontario shot a combined score of 4-under on Tuesday to take the Junior Inter-Provincial Team Trophy by three shots over Team British Columbia.
Team Ontario consists of Isaiah Ellis (Smithville, Ont.), Isaiah Ibit (Ottawa) and Matthew Javier (North York, Ont.). Ibit shot a 69 on Tuesday, while Javier and Ellis both recorded rounds of 71.
“It’s really nice…really great for Ontario to have the clean sweep this year for the junior national championships with the girls and the boys…so it’s nice,” Ibit said with a smile.
Javier was part of Team Ontario last year that came up just short of the team championship, “It means a lot. I was on the team last year and we got closed out by Team Quebec so it’s nice to close it out this year,” he said.
Ellis added “means a lot, I was very grateful to be on the team and it just means a lot.” With his round, he sits in one behind the co-leaders in the Junior Championship division.
There is a two-way tie for the lead in the Junior Boys Championship. Alex Zhang of Richmond, B.C. shot a 3-under, 69 on Tuesday morning to sit at 4-under for the tournament. He was joined atop the leaderboard by Joshua Ince of Surrey, B.C. who also shot a 3-under, 69 during Tuesday’s afternoon wave.
Zhang began his round on the back nine and carded three consecutive birdies on holes 11 through 13 to set the tone for his round, “The putter has been really hot this week. I’ve been making a lot of putts and it’s helped because I haven’t struck the ball my best,” said the Team Canada NextGen Team Member.
Zhang leads the Juvenile Boys Championship by three shots over Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. and James Lee of Whistler, B.C.
Ince collected three birdies on the front and finished with an even score on the back nine, narrowly missing a chance to keep the solo lead after a bogey on 18.
Players 18-and-under are competing for the Canadian Junior Boys Trophy, also known as the Silver Cup. In addition, players 16-and-under are eligible for the Juvenile Boys Championship and the Jack Bailey Trophy. Since its inception, only ten golfers have won both the Juvenile and Junior titles — Jim Rutledge, Jeff Makahon, Rob McMillan, Jesse Collinson, Dustin Risdon, Gord Scutt, Rafael Lee, Mitch Sutton, Charles-Éric Bélanger and Christopher Vandette.
The Junior and Juvenile Boys Championships are played concurrently over four rounds. Following Tuesday’s round, the cut is set at 8-over with the top 74 players advancing to the final 36 holes of the national championship.
The Junior champion of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship earns an exemption into the 2024 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship as well as the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.
For the full leaderboard of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO, please click here. For Wednesday’s third round tee times, please click here.
GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Golf Canada annually conducts more than 30 golf competitions and qualifiers nation-wide – including nine National Amateur Championships – which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by BDO Canada, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Titleist, FootJoy, Sport Canada, Levelwear and JOURNIE Rewards. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/championships.