Ibit was seven shots back of the leader after second round;
Spencer Shropshire tops Juvenile division;
Team Ontario wins Inter-Provincial Team Championship
Innisfail, Alta. – The saying it’s not over until it’s over certainly applied this week as Isaiah Ibit fired a final round of 6-under 66 to come from two shots back to win the 2024 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO at Innisfail Golf Club in Innisfail, Alta on Friday.
“It’s really nice and it’s kind of bittersweet because it’s my last junior tournament as my junior career is over but it’s pretty surreal, it hasn’t really sunk in yet as of right now. I’m just worried about getting to school first,” said Ibit following his round.
His 66 propelled him to a final score of 16-under, five shots clear of Charlie Gillespie of Calgary, Alta, posting rounds of 67-72-67-66-272.
Ibit of Orleans, Ont. entered the day at 10-under, trailing Spencer Shropshire of Ramara, Ont. who held the lead following rounds two and three. On Friday, Shropshire opened with a bogey to pull Ibit to within one. They would both go on to birdie the second and fourth holes, keeping Shropshire ahead by one through six. Ibit grabbed a share of the lead with his third birdie of the day at no. 7 putting both competitors at 13-under.
“I was one back and I knew Spencer was going to be really solid and he wasn’t going to come back to me so I figured I needed to make some good birdies and capitalize and when he ended up missing that short putt for bogey I knew that I had the lead and from there I knew that I couldn’t give it up and just kind of build on it,” added Ibit.
It was on the eighth hole where the Team Canada NextGen member grabbed the solo lead and he did not relinquish it following a double bogey from Shropshire, Ibit went two ahead.
He opened his back nine with four consecutive pars followed by back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15 before adding another for good measure on 18 to finish at 16-under. Through the week Ibit found success on no. 18 going birdie-eagle-eagle-birdie over four rounds.
After Wednesday’s second round and a second consecutive inter-provincial team title, Ibit found himself seven shots back of the lead and responded with a solid round on Thursday.
“After we won the inter-provincial cup title for Ontario, I knew that Thursday would have to be a pretty big moving day especially considering I was seven back, so I knew I had a lot of ground to make up and thankfully I played a really good round that day,” said Ibit of his 5-under 67 on Thursday.
Ibit who joined Golf Canada’s Team Canada NextGen program ahead of this season was complimentary of the staff who have helped him get here.
“Team Canada has been great and really helping me develop as a player both physically, golf wise and mentally it’s been great to work with the coaches and everyone at Golf Canada just really willing to help me get better,” he said.
Ibit’s junior career has now come to a close as he will be heading to Kent State University, where he will compete as a member of the Golden Flashes similar to Canadian PGA TOUR winners, Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith.
“This summer has gone by really fast. Didn’t seem long ago where I was playing in March as there was still snow on the ground up here, so it’s gone by pretty fast but it’s nice to end off the season with this,” he reflected.
Shropshire finished with a 3-over 75 to finish the tournament at 9-under and win the Juvenile division for players 17-and-under. Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. and Eddie Gu of Aurora, Ont. finished at 7-under to tie for second in the Juvenile division.
On Tuesday, Team Ontario successfully defended their title as the Inter-Provincial Team champions, finishing with a combined score of 10-under to beat Team British Columbia by two. Along with Ibit and Pain, Team Ontario was represented by Gabriel Mainella of Markham, Ont. Team B.C. finished at 8-under and were represented by Austin Krahn of Christina Lake, B.C., Ryan Vest of Vernon, B.C. and Manpreet Lalh of Nanaimo, B.C. Team Alberta rounded out the top three finishing at 5-under.
In addition to his national championship, Ibit has also earned an exemption into the 2025 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship as well as the 2025 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.
For the final standings at the 2024 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.