Dao, Duquette win Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship
(Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)
Golf Canada
Céleste Dao went wire-to-wire on Sunday to win the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship, while William Duquette cruised to victory in the boy’s division at Club de golf Milby.
Dao finished her championship run with a 1-under-par 72 – her second under-par score of the tournament. The 16-year-old started her up-and-down final round by only recording one par on the front nine before she calmed her game down after the turn.
“My start was kind of tough,” she said, after her victory. “I didn’t drive the ball very well and it took me a couple of holes to figure my swing out. I started with a lot of bogeys and birdies, but didn’t stop attacking the pin. In the middle of my round I decided to hit my three-wood and cruised in from there.”
The move to her three-wood paid instant dividends as she recorded a par on each of the first five holes after heading to the back nine.
Ellie Szeryk, from London, Ont., maintained her second-place finish with a 4-under-par 69 – the lowest score of the tournament in the girl’s division – which saw her finish at 1-over-par for the tournament, four strokes back of Dao. She made only two bogeys on Sunday and recorded an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole.
Brigitte Thibault finished in third place at 3 over par. The Rosemere, Que., native shot a 70 on Sunday after she recorded four birdies in five holes on the back nine.
Rounding out the top six, all of-whom are advancing to the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship held Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont., are: Haley Yerxa (+5) from Ottawa, Ont., Sarah Beqaj (+9) from Toronto, Ont., and Emily Zhu (+10) from Richmond Hill, Ont.
In the boy’s division, Duquette cruised to the victory with a comfortable seven-shot lead. He was the co-leader after the first round and then captured the outright lead by carding a 6-under-par 67 in his second round. On Sunday, he shot a 2-under-par 71 to notch his third consecutive round under par.
“I was just trying to play safe today,” he said. “I wanted to hit a lot of greens and that’s what I did. I made a lot of putts in the first five holes and that really helped me through the whole day. I had a big lead after two rounds, so that made it a little bit easier.”
Finishing in second after a 3-under-par 70 was Jared Dandy from Vankleek Hill, Ont. The 18-year-old registered four birdies on Sunday paired with only one bogey – on the final hole of the tournament.
Christopher Vandette, the 15-year-old from Beaconsfield, Que., who won the Ontario Championship last week, scored a 5-under-par 68 to move him to even par for the tournament and into a tie for third with Louis-Alexandre Jobin-Colgan.
Eric Byun dropped a couple of spots after his 2-over-par 75 on Sunday. The Richmond Hill, Ont., product finished in sole possession of fifth at 1 over par for the tournament.
Three players participated in a playoff to determine the sixth golfer in the boy’s division to earn an exemption for the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship held July 31 – Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf & Country Club in Kingston, Ont.,
Callum Davison, the event’s defending champion, outlasted Shaun Margeson, from Falls River, N.S., and Antoine Roy, from Rimouski, Que., after two playoff holes. Davison, from Duncan B.C., shot 1 under par to force the extra holes while both Margeson and Roy were 2 over on the day, allowing Davison to sneak into the final exemption spot.
Duquette, Dao sit comfortably in lead heading to final round of Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship
(Chuck Russell/ Golf Canada)
Golf Canada
SHERBROOKE, Que. – William Duquette’s 67 put him comfortably at the top of the leaderboard, while Dao held on to her lead in the girl’s division at the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship on Saturday at Club de golf Milby.
Duquette extended his lead with a 6-under-par 67 to move him to 8 under on the tournament heading into the final round. The 16-year-old made the turn at 1 under before dominating the back nine with two eagles on the par-5 17 and par-4 13.
“On 13 I drove it on the green and then made the putt for eagle,” he said, after his tournament-low round. “My putting was really good all day. I made a lot of par saves and a lot of birdies.”
Eric Byun, from Richmond Hill, Ont., is the closest to Duquette after his 1-under-par round on Saturday, but he remains seven strokes back of first, sitting at 1 under total for the tournament. There are four players currently tied in third at even par through two rounds: Jared Dandy (75, 71), Shaun Margeson (73, 73), Charles-Eric Belanger (76, 70) and Antoine Roy (72, 74).
In the girl’s division, Dao sits at the top of the leaderboard for the second consecutive day. Her 1-over-par 74 on Saturday moves her to 2 under for the tournament and she starts Sunday with a comfortable six-stroke lead.
The 16-year-old was making a bid for her second consecutive score under par, but ran into trouble with bogeys on her final two holes.
Haley Yerxa, from Ottawa, Ont., holds onto second place after she shot 3 over par in round two. She started the day four strokes back and looked like she was going to dip down the standings after having trouble on the par-3 12th hole where she carded a double-bogey, but rebounded by making birdies on 15 and 18 to stay in the hunt.
Also starting the day four back of Dao was Ellie Szeryk from London, Ont. She managed to make the turn at even par but struggled on holes 10 to 12 where she recorded a bogey on each. She ended round 2 with a 77 and sits at 5 over for the tournament, seven strokes off the lead.
The top six finishers in the Boys Division will earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship held on July 31-Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club in Kingston, Ont. The top six in the Girls Division will earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship held Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.
Click here for more information and here for full results.
Lebeau, Duquette co-lead boys, Dao leads girls at Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship
(Golf Canada)
Golf Canada
SHERBROOKE, Que. – Jeffrey Lebeau and William Duquette sit deadlocked in the boy’s division after round one at the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship on Friday, while Céleste Dao holds the lead in the girl’s division.
Lebeau and Duquette both sit tied at the top of the leaderboard after matching 2-under-par 71 rounds. Lebeau, who is from Sherbrooke Que., and is playing on his home course, was off to a fantastic start after heading to the final three holes bogey-free and 4 under, but he stumbled down the stretch with bogeys on 16 and 18.
“It’s my home course and I’ve played it a lot this week,” said Lebeau, after his round. “Even though the course was wet, the ball rolled really well. I thought I was going to get some tougher lies in some places, but I was surprised that the course played really nicely.”
Duquette, from Laval, Que., played a consistent game all day and carded two birdies and a bogey on each the front and back nine.
Antoine Roy was the only other player in the boy’s division to record a score under par after his 72 found him one back from the leaders. The product from Rimouski, Que., headed to the 16th hole 2 under but dropped a shot on the par 3.
Outside the top three there are currently seven players tied with even-par rounds.
Sitting back of the pack at T15 (+2) is 15-year-old Christopher Vandette from Beaconsfield, Que., who is fresh off a victory at the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship last weekend.
In the girl’s division, Dao shot the low-round of the day after her 3-under-par 70. The 16-year-old recorded only one bogey on Thursday and is the round one leader for the second consecutive Future Links, driven by Acura Championship.
“I was hitting the ball very good and putting well,” said Dao. “The only thing that didn’t go so good in the start was my driving. The course played very nicely and it was very scorable. I could get to a lot of the par 5’s in two and the course was rolling really good.”
Ellie Szeryk, from London, Ont., and Haley Yerxa, from Ottawa Ont., are both tied in second, four strokes behind Dao. Szeryk made the turn 3 over par but rattled off four birdies in five holes to bring her into contention, and Yerxa’s eagle on hole 15 helped her finish the day 1 over par.
The top six finishers in the Boys Division earned exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 31-Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club in Kingston, Ont. The top six in the Girls Division earned exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.
Click here for more information and here for results.
Club de golf Milby prepared for Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship
(Jim Meagher/ Golf Canada)
Golf Canada
Golf Canada’s third junior golf championship of 2017 is set to take place from June 1-4 as the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship gets underway at Club de golf Milby in Sherbrooke, Que.
With support from Golf Quebec, the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship is the third of six regional junior championships presented in partnership with Acura. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin with a practice round on June 1 before the tournament gets underway with round one on June 2.
Founded in 1964, Club de Golf Milby offers an interesting challenge through its hilly fairways bordered by brooks and mature trees, and it has built a reputation for its large and undulated greens.
“Golf Canada is very pleased to present the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship in Sherbooke,” said Eric Couture, the Tournament Director from Golf Quebec. “The six regional Championships are fantastic events for Canada’s premier junior golfers to showcase their skills. We look forward for this strong field of juniors attempting to navigate the hilly course at Club de golf Milby.”
The field will consist of 87 junior golfers in the Junior Boys Division with the top six earning exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 31-Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf & Country Club in Kingston, Ont. A tie for the sixth position will be decided by a playoff following the conclusion of play.
The Junior Girls Division will consist of 33 golfers with the top six (including ties) earning an exemption into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.
Three additional Future Links, driven by Acura Championships will span the country this summer.
July 3-6 – Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie – Estevan, Sask. – TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club.
July 10-13 – Future Links, driven by Acura Western – Fernie, B.C. – Fernie Golf & Country Club.
July 17-20 – Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic – Church Point, N.S. – Clare Golf & County Club.
The 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship took place on May 12-14 (results), while the Ontario Championship took place on May 25-28 (results).
NOTABLES
Callum Davison of Duncan B.C.
The 16-year-old comes in as the event’s defending champion. He would go on to finish T3 at the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship. In his last six events he has four top-five finishes. He currently sits in second on the Future Links, driven by Acura junior boys Order of Merit.
Marc-Antoine Hotte of Montreal, Que.
Finished T3 at this event in 2016, four shots behind Davison. He is coming off a 7th place finish at the CJGA Quebec Junior Open on May 13-14. He finished at No. 43 in the 2016 Future Links, driven by Acura junior boys Order of Merit.
Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-L’lle-Perrot, Que.
Placed solo-third in this event in 2016, the highest of all returning in the Girls Division. Qualified for the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship and finished T6. The 16-year-old is coming off a victory at the CJGA Quebec Junior Open. She is currently seventh in the Future Links, driven by Acura junior girls Order of Merit.
Jeffrey Lebeau of Sherbrooke Que.
The 17-year-old will be playing on his home course at Club de golf Milby. His highest finish in 2016 was T8 at the CJGA Quebec Junior Open.
Remi Chartier of Beaconsfield, Que.
The 16-year-old finished third at the 2016 Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship to qualify for the Canadian Junior Boys Championship that year, which he finished T30. He is coming off a T7 finish at the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship on May 26-28.
FAST FACTS
In 2017, Golf Canada is conducting its six regional Future Links, driven by Acura championships in conjunction with the Provincial Associations.
Top six finishers in the Boys Division earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.
Top six finishers (including ties) in the Girls Division earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
Defending champion Callum Davison held on to win the tournament by two strokes despite scoring a triple-bogey on the final hole.
Team Canada Development Squad member Monet Chun won the 2016 Girls Division by three strokes.
Vandette’s final round and Chun’s dominant weekend propel them to victory at Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship
(Jim Meagher/Golf Canada)
Golf Canada
Christopher Vandette out-dueled Jeevan Sihota in the final round of the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship, while Monet Chun dominated the Girls Division on Sunday at Brockville Country Club in Brockville, Ont.
“I feel good about that win,” Vandette said, after the award ceremony. “It gives me confidence for the rest of the summer.”
Vandette shot a 3-under-par 68 in his final round denying Sihota his second straight win at a Future Links, driven by Acura championship.
The 15-year-old Vandette started the day one shot back of Sihota, who is just 13-years-old, and the two battled it out in the final pairing of the tournament. After both made the turn they were tied at the top of the leaderboard.
Sihota made bogey on the par-4 10th and dropped out of the lead for the first time in the tournament. Vandette, from Beaconsfield, Que., seized the opportunity and recorded four birdies in five holes to close out the victory.
“We were playing similar golf on the front nine,” Vandette said. “After Jeevan made his bogey a switch flicked in my head and I made three birdies in a row. That kind of put me away from the pack.”
Sihota ended his tournament with a 4-over par 75, dropping him into solo third and finishing six strokes back of Vandette. Tomas Giroux, of Georgetown, Ont., moved up into second place after Sihota dropped down the leaderboard. The 18-year-old finished his tournament at 2 over par, five back of the leader.
Louis-Alexandre Jobin-Colgan from Quebec, Que., and Olivier Menard from Valleyfield, Que., finished tied in fourth after they both fired their best rounds of the tournament: 68 and 69, respectively.
Toronto, Ont., native Zachary Greifenberger secured the final qualifying place for the Canadian Junior Boys Championship with an even-par finish. He was 5-over for the tournament.
Chun, a Team Canada Development Squad member, was dominant in her final two rounds of the tournament. After an opening round of 74, the 16-year-old shot two straight 1-under-par rounds of 70 and cruised to a four-stroke victory.
“I’m happy with my result today,” Chun said, after her win. “My putting was really good. I got kind of lucky on some of the bad strokes that I made and I was able to recover from that. My putting was key today.”
Monet Chun (Jim Meagher/ Golf Canada)
The win marks her second in as many weeks as the Richmond Hill, Ont., native is coming off a win at the Investors Group Junior Girls’ Spring Classic at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, in Stouffville, Ont., on May 20-22.
Ellie Szeryk, from London, Ont., finished comfortably in second after she shot a final-round 70, the only other person to shoot under par in the Girls Division. The 15-year-old was tied for the lead after the opening round, but after a 5-over-par 76 on Saturday Chun took over the tournament and didn’t look back.
After co-leading with Szeryk in the opening round, Céleste Dao shot a 3-over-par 74 on Sunday to move into a tie for third with Alyssa DiMarcantonio from Maple, Ont. The two finished nine back of Chun, 10-over for the tournament.
The top six finishers in the Boys Division earned exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 31-Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club in Kingston, Ont. The top six in the Girls Division earned exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.
Rounding out the top six qualifying for the Canadian Junior Girls Championship are Bridgitte Thibault, from Rosemere, Que., and Chloe Currie, another member of Team Canada’s Development Squad. Thibault bogeyed two of her last three holes, but managed to hang on for a 2-over-par 73 finish and secure her qualifying spot, while Currie, a Mississauga, Ont., product, sat tied in seventh until she dropped a clutch birdie on the par-3 17th hole, vaulting her into a tie for fifth.
PHOTOS: Click here for images; credit to Jim Meagher/ Golf Canada
2017 FUTURE LINKS, DRIVEN BY ACURA ONTARIO CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS – JUNIOR BOYS DIVISION
Sihota, Chun lead after the second round at Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship
(Jim Meagher/ Golf Canada)
Golf Canada
BROCKVILLE, ON – Jeevan Sihota shot a 1-over-par 72 and Monet Chun shot a 1-under-par 70 to lead their respective divisions after round 2 of the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship at Brockville Country Club in Brockville, Ont., on Saturday.
Sihota looked like he was going to run away with the tournament as he went bogey-free through the front nine and made the turn at 3-under. However, the 13-year-old faced his first rough patch of the tournament on the back half of the course when he failed to record a single birdie and marked down four bogeys on his scorecard.
“Once again, a good start,” the Victoria, B.C., native said, after his round. “I didn’t close very well today, obviously, but I’m in there so that’s good. I had the same game plan as yesterday and I’ll have the same one tomorrow so we’ll see how that goes.”
If Sihota manages to close out a win tomorrow, he will be crowned the champion of both of the first two Future Links, driven by Acura Championships in 2017.
“At the Pacific Championship I stayed calm and the birdies fell, so I just have to do the same thing tomorrow,” he said.
Nipping at his heals is Christopher Vandette from Beaconsville, Que. For the second consecutive day, Vandette scored an even-par 71 to sit alone in second place.
Eric Byun, from Richmond Hill, Ont., and Taylor Beckstead, a product of Alliston, Ont., are within striking distance of Sihota, sitting just three strokes back.
Logan Boucher, who is also from Beaconsville, Que., was one of two golfers to shoot a 69 — the low score of the day – vaulting him to T5. Robbie Latter, from Mississauga, Ont., was the other junior to score a 2-under-par 69, and he sits at T17 (6-over on the tournament).
Chun, a member of Team Canada’s Development Squad, took solo lead of the Girls Division after her 1-under-par 70, the only girl to record an under-par score so far in the tournament. The Richmond Hill, Ont., native had a flawless opening nine with no bogeys and scored birdies on holes four and six. After making consecutive bogies on 10 and 11, she managed to finish the back nine with two more birdies and a bogey.
Ellie Szeryk, from London, Ont., started the day tied with Céleste Dao at the top of the leaderboard, but four bogeys on the front nine paired with another three in her last four holes resulted in a 5-over-par 76, dropping her into a tie for second with Mathilde Denicourt (74, 74). The pair sit four strokes back of Chun.
Dao struggled to get going on Saturday and opened her round 4 over par through as many holes. Despite making two birdies after the turn, she scored two bogeys and a double-bogey to end her round with a 6-over-par 77, five shots back of the lead.
Chloe Currie, Team Canada’s other Development Squad Member, shot 3-over on the front nine while only registering a single par. After the turn she managed to stay even and her 3-over-par 74 moved her into 6th place on the tournament.
The final round of the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship will start at 7:00am tomorrow. Click here for complete scoring information.
Sihota; Szeryk, Dao lead after the opening round at Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship
(Golf Canada)
Jeevan Sihota tops the Boys Division at the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship after the opening round on Thursday, while Ellie Szeryk and Celeste Dao share the lead in the Girls Division at Brockville Country Club, in Brockville, Ont.
Sihota, a 13-year-old from Victoria, B.C., continued his stellar play after winning the Pacific Championship earlier in May. He recorded a bogey on his opening hole, but recovered and birdied three of the next four holes enroute to a 2-under-par 69.
“I got off to a pretty good start and played steady through,” he said, after his low-score of the day. “I hit a lot of greens, thought I could have holed a few more putts but overall it was good.”
Sitting two shots back of Sihota is a three-way tie for second place. Christopher Vandette (Beaconsfield, Que.), Abe Holmes (Barrie, Ont), and Eric Byun (Richmond Hill, Ont.) all shot an even-par 71.
In the Girls Division, Szeryk and Dao both shot a 1-over-par 72 in their opening rounds to put them at the top of the leaderboard up by two strokes.
Szeryk, from London, Ont., got off to a fast start with three birdies in her first seven holes, but slowed down after she made the turn to the back nine and recorded bogeys on holes 10, 12 and 16.
Dao played a steadier round. The 16-year-old headed to the final two holes 2 over par for the round. She made a clutch birdie on the par 3 before finishing with a par on 18 to move her into a tie with Szeryk.
“I hit pretty good wedges and made some 10 to 12 footers, so that helps,” said Szeryk, after her round on Thursday. “I was just trying to figure out how the course would play with the wet conditions and see how long the ball would travel in the rough and everything.
“I’m just going to try to shoot even or under par tomorrow. There’s a lot of really good players here, so I’m just going to have to chill out and see how it goes.”
Defending champion Isabella Portokalis got off to a rough start on the rain-filled day. Three bogeys in her first six holes resulted in her 4-over-par 75, good enough for T7.
Team Canada Development Squad members Monet Chun and Chloe Currie both cracked the top 10. Chun, from Richmond Hill, Ont., sits just two strokes back of Szeryk and Dao in a four-way tie for third. Currie got off to a slow start and was 3-over after the first two holes. Two more bogeys on the front nine saw her drop down the leaderboard, but, after she managed to play the back nine just one-over, the Mississauga, Ont., native managed to hang on to 10th place after her 6-over-par 77.
The top six finishers in the boy’s division will earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 31-Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club in Kingston, Ont. A tie for the sixth position will be decided by a playoff following the conclusion of play on Sunday. The top six in the girl’s division (including ties) will earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.
Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship heads to Brockville Country Club
(Brockville Country Club)
Golf Canada
Golf Canada’s second junior golf championship of 2017 is set to take place from May 26-28 as the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship gets underway at Brockville Country Club in Brockville, Ont.
With support from Golf Ontario, the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship is the second of six regional junior championships presented in partnership with Acura. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin with a practice round on May 25 before the tournament gets underway with round one on May 26.
Founded in 1914, Brockville Country Club will be hosting its first ever Future Links Championship. Just three years removed from celebrating its 100th year, the course features various elevation changes and tricky greens located at the end of tree-lined fairways.
“Golf Canada is very pleased to present the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura championship in Brockville,” said Akash Patel, the Tournament Director. “The six regional Championships are fantastic events for Canada’s premier junior golfers to showcase their skills. We look forward for this strong field of juniors attempting to navigate the tricky course at Brockville Country Club.”
The field will consist of 87 junior golfers in the Junior Boys Division with the top six earning exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 31-Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf & Country Club in Kingston, Ont. A tie for the sixth position will be decided by a playoff following the conclusion of play.
The Junior Girls Division will consist of 33 golfers with the top six (including ties) earning an exemption into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.
Prior to the championship on Thursday, May 25, Golf Canada and Special Olympics Canada will hold the second of two regional competitions in support of Special Olympics golf. The first event was held at Chilliwack Golf Club before the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship. A field of 18 local athletes will compete over nine holes. Following the event, PGA of Canada professionals will conduct a clinic for Special Olympics coaches and athletes with a focus on improving skills and leadership within the sport.
Four additional Future Links, driven by Acura Championships will span the country this summer.
June 1-4 – Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec – Sherbrooke, Que. – Club de golf Milby.
July 3-6 – Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie – Estevan, Sask. – TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club.
July 10-13 – Future Links, driven by Acura Western – Fernie, B.C. – Fernie Golf & Country Club.
July 17-20 – Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic – Church Point, N.S. – Clare Golf & County Club.
The 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship took place on May 12-14. Full results can be found here.
Additional information regarding the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship, including participants, start times and up-to-date results can be found here.
NOTABLES
Isabella Portokalis of London, Ont.
The 15-year-old comes in as the event’s defending champion. She would go on to place T11 at the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship. Through eight events in 2016, she was ranked No. 8 in the Future Links, driven by Acura junior girls Order of Merit.
Jeevan Sihota of Victoria, B.C.
The 13-year-old is coming off a victory at the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship, where he was the youngest golfer in the field. His victory placed him seventh in the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura junior boys Order of Merit. He finished in T8 at his only other counting event this year: the CJGA Humber College PGM Western Championship.
Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont.
Team Canada Development Squad member who is ranked No. 1 in the Future Links, driven by Acura junior girls Order of Merit. In the Pacific Championship earlier in May, Chun finished T7, one shot back of qualifying for the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship. The 16-year-old won both the 2016 Golf Quebec Junior Spring Open and the 2016 Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship. She is coming off a win at the Investors Group Junior Girls’ Spring Classic at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, in Stouffville on May 20-22.
Chloe Currie of Mississauga, Ont.
The Team Canada Development Squad member finished 11th at this event last year, but had already qualified for the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship (solo second) after she finished second at the 2016 Pacific Championship. She currently sits in 10th in the Future Links, driven by Acura junior girls Order of Merit.
Tyler Nagano of Toronto, Ont.
At the same event in 2016, the 18-year-old finished two strokes back of the leader and placed in solo-second, his best finish of the year.
Sarah Cushing of Brockville, Ont.
The 17-year-old will be playing on her home course at Brockville Country Club. Her highest finish in 2016 was a solo third at the CJGA Golfweek Canadian Jr Invitational.
Remi Chartier of Beaconsfield, Que.
The 16-year-old finished third, one stroke back of Nagano, at the same event last season, to qualify for the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, which he finished T30. In May, he finished in solo-second at the CJGA Quebec Junior Open.
Kelvin Lim of Thornhill, Ont.
The 15-year-old finished in seventh in the 2016 Future Links, driven by Acura junior boys Order of Merit. He is coming off a win at the Investors Group Junior Boys’ Spring Classic at Wooden Sticks Golf Club on May 20-22 and a T7 finish at the AJGA Rome Junior Classic on April 23.
FAST FACTS
In 2017, Golf Canada is conducting its six regional Future Links, driven by Acura championships in conjunction with the Provincial Associations.
Top six finishers in the Boys Division earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.
Top six finishers (including ties) in the Girls Division earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
Defending champion Isabella Portokalis started her final 2016 round three shots back before rallying to earn her victory.
Brandon Lacasse won the junior boys tournament in 2016, his final year of eligibility into the event.
Sihota, Parsons crowned Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Champions
(Chuck Russell/ Golf Canada)
Jeevan Sihota scored a final round 67 to top the leaderboard of the Boys Division of the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship, while Mary Parsons defended her 2016 Girls Division title after she defeated Euna Han in playoff at Chilliwack Golf Club in Chilliwack, B.C. on Sunday.
Sihota, a Victoria resident, started his final round 1-over through three holes before he turned up his game scoring birdies on holes five and four. After he made the turn, the 13-year-old was lights out, playing bogey free and making birdies on 11, 12, 13 and 15, leading to a 10-under finish for the tournament.
Khan Lee shot the low-score of the day with a 6-under 66. After starting the day with a bogey, the Langley, B.C., native birdied four of his next seven holes, and then birdied four of six holes after making the turn to finish one shot behind Sihota.
Finishing T2 with Lee was Tristan Mandur of Mill Bay, B.C., who made birdies on 17 and 18 resulting in a 69 (-2) on the day, his second sub-70 finish in as many rounds.
Chandler McDowell, a Team Canada Development Squad member, started Sunday in the lead, but after bogeys on two of the first three holes, he was never able to fully recover. He finished 8-under on the tournament after his even-par final round to finish alone in fourth.
Keaton Gudz, from Victoria, and Red Deer’s Carter Graf secured the final two exemptions to the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 31-Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club in Kingston, Ont. Gudz shot 4-under on Sunday and finished in solo-fifth while Graf shot 3-under and edged out Aidan Goodfellow in playoff for the final spot.
In the Girls Division, Parsons started the day sitting in fourth place but she managed to drop three birdies before she made the turn to put her into striking distance of the top of the leaderboard. Heading into hole 17, the Delta B.C., product was sitting at 3-under and then went birdie-birdie to close out the round with sole possession of first place.
Han, who remained at the top of the leaderboard through the first two rounds, struggled to get things going and headed to the 18th hole 2-over, but managed to nail a clutch birdie putt to force a playoff with Parsons.
Phoebe Yue, of West Vancouver, recorded the low-score of the tournament (and ladies course record) for the Girls Division with a 7-under 65. She recorded two eagles in her final round, including one on the par-4 eighth hole from 140 yards out. Her stellar final round pushed her to 3-under on the tournament and into a tie for third with Surrey’s Susan Xiao.
Xiao, who started in the final pairing, got off to a slow start with a bogey on holes one and three before finishing +1 on the day.
Katherine Chan and Tiffany Kong shot 2-over and 1-over to round out the top-six who earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.
Team Canada Development Squad members Monet Chun (T7) and Hannah Lee (10) both got off to rocky starts
and scored 3-over and 5-over respectively.
2017 FUTURE LINKS, DRIVEN BY ACURA PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS – JUNIOR BOYS DIVISION
Han maintains lead, McDowell jumps into first at Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship
(Chilliwack Golf Club)
Golf Canada
Chandler McDowell shot a 67 to vault him into first place in the Boys Division at the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship, while Euna Han shot a 2-under 70 to maintain her lead in the Girls Division heading into the final round at Chilliwack Golf Club in Chilliwack, B.C.
McDowell was dialed in on Saturday as he recorded back-to-back birdies to start his round and then dropped three straight birdies on holes 13, 14 and 15. The only flaw in his second round was a bogey on hole 16, which was a much needed improvement from his opening round in which he recorded four.
“Today I kind of felt a little bit more comfortable out there,” he said, after his round. “I felt like I had a good rhythm out there the whole time. Yesterday I was a little choppy, but today I had one bogey and felt a little different.”
Tristan Mandur shot the low-score of the tournament with a 64, 10 shots better than his opening round. He recorded four birdies on both the front and back nine and jumped up the leaderboard to second, two shots behind McDowell.
“Getting to the fifth hole, I was 2-under through four,” Mandur said. “I knew I had some easy holes coming up so I thought to just play solid and hope I could pull it together.”
Round one leader 13-year-old Jeevan Sihota shot an even-par 72 and dropped to T3 with Chilliwack native Mitchell Thiessen.
A.J. Ewart and Max Sekulic, two memebers of Team Canada’s Development Squad, struggled with their second round and each posted a 2-over 74. They sit at T14 and T11, respectively.
For the second consecutive day, Han is sitting atop the leaderboard in the Girls Division. Her 2-under second round helped maintain her two-stroke lead heading into the final day.
After a rough start where she only scored one birdie on the front nine and recorded bogeys on holes one, six and 11, Han turned her game around and got three straight birdies after the turn and added a fourth on her final hole.
“It was a big comeback,” she said. “I was 2-over through 11 and then birdied four of my last six holes. It was a big fight back.”
Defending champion and Team Canada Development Squad member Mary Parsons had a bit of a setback in her second round and dropped to solo fourth after her 1-over 73. She was 2-under through 10 holes, but a string of three bogeys in six holes saw her dip down the leaderboard.
Her fellow team Canada members, Hannah Lee and Monet Chun sit one spot back tied in fifth. Chun shot 1-under on Saturday while Lee was 1-over. They both sit at +2 for the tournament.
Susan Xiao, from Surrey, B.C., sits in second place after her second-round 70 put her at -4 for the tournament.
The top six finishers in the boy’s division will earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 31-Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club in Kingston, Ont. A tie for the sixth position will be decided by a playoff following the conclusion of play on Sunday. The top six in the girl’s division (including ties) will earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.
