Rocky Mountain House, Alta. – As the old saying goes, ‘age is just a number.’ Lucy Lin and Alex Zhang proved that theory right at the 2022 NextGen Western Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards.

Lin, 12, and Zhang, 13, showed maturity beyond their years – and then some – at Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. They certainly were not the oldest in the starting field of 93 players but this week they proved to be the best, winning their respective divisions at the junior event.

Lin, a Vancouver, B.C. native, lead wire-to-wire in the Junior Girls division, shooting even-par or better in each of the three rounds to secure a two-stroke victory over Eileen Park – yet another youngster who proved her talents out west.

“I had a lot of fun, [gained] a lot of experienced, learned a lot and played quite well,’ said Lin.

Lin, the second youngest player in the field in the Junior Girls divisions, welcomed the challenge of competing against girls up to the age of 19, and says she was just trying to play her own game, hit every shot well and learn from the experience.

The west-coast prodigy is now turning her focus to a U.S. Junior Girl Qualifier and says her main goal for this season is to qualify for that event.

Park, the runner-up in the Junior Girls division and youngest competitor in the field, put her talent on display in Alberta and showed why her potential is amongst the highest of junior girl golfers in Canada.

“I don’t have any fears. I’ve played with these girls for a few years now, so I am kind of used to it,” said Park. “It’s actually pretty fun to play with the older girls now. There’s a little more challenge [though] because they hit it further than me.”

The 12-year-old says she is trying to hit more “bombs” and throw more “darts” to make up for the gap in distance from the older girls. It’s safe to say she did her fair share of dart throwing this week, finishing 2-under par for the tournament.

Shifting gears, Park says she hopes to win the U19 Provincial Championship and “maybe” the Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship.

In the Junior Boys divisions, Zhang mounted an improbable comeback in the final round, firing a 1-under 72 for a two-stroke victory over Charlie Gillepsie. The 13-year-old showed that no moment was too big for him in a field where many of his competitors had more experience under their belt.

“I wasn’t scared at all, but I viewed it as a good challenge for me and a good test of golf,” said Zhang. “It was really great for experience to see how they managed emotions and their shots.”

“I knew my game was feeling pretty good going into today. I knew I had to play my own game, not think about the score and who’s leading, and I would have a good chance of winning,” said the Richmond, B.C. native.

Click here for full results of the 2022 NextGen Western Championship.

Including Lin, the top six players in the Junior Girls division have earned exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship taking place July 25-29 at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

POS	NAME
1	Lucy Lin (Vancouver, B.C.)
2	Eileen Park (Red Deer, Alta.)
3	Sydney Bisgrove (Calgary, Alta.)
4	Carys Code (Calgary, Alta.)
5	Tessa Ion (Calgary, Alta.)
6	Belle Brezovski (St. Albert, Alta.)

From the Junior Boys division, the top six players have earned exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, August 6-10, at Rivershore Estates & Golf Links in Kamloops, British Columbia. Tyler Kidd knocked off Cole Bergheim in a playoff to secure the final spot at Nationals.

POS	NAME
1	Alex Zhang (Richmond, B.C.)
2	Charlie Gillepsie (Calgary, Alta.)
3	Christian Flick (Heritage Pointe, Alta.)
T4	Kyle Fisher (Leduc, Alta.)
T4	Tate Bruggeman (Edmonton, Alta.)
T6	Tyler Kidd (Buck Lake, Alta.)

About the NextGen Championships series, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards

The NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is a high-performance junior golf series which totals eight competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2022 national championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf. 

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE, Alta. – The NextGen Western Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is set to begin Thursday at Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House, Alta.

Practice rounds are scheduled for June 1, before the official 54-hole tournament gets underway on June 2. Play is scheduled to wrap up on Saturday, June 4.

The top six male competitor will earn a spot in the upcoming Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO, August 7-10, at Rivershore Estates & Golf Links in Kamloops, B.C. The top six female golfers (including ties) will also earn exemptions into this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship, July 25-29, at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

The starting field will feature 94 players – 67 Junior Boys and 27 Junior Girls – vying for a spot in their respective Canadian Junior Championship later this summer.

The NextGen Western Championship is the third of six regional junior championships presented in partnership with JOURNIE Rewards. Alessandra Nagayo and Ben MacLean took home the honours in the latest NextGen Championship at Oak Bay Golf Club in Port Severn, Ont. For the full schedule of 2022 NextGen Championships, click here.

Halfway between Calgary and Edmonton and a 3-wood to the west is home to Pine Hills Golf Club in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. True to the name of the town in which it is located, Pine Hills offers an array of elevation changes and blind approaches over it’s hilly, yet majestic landscape. In 1989, an additional 9 holes were added to the original layout to complete the 18-hole championship course that requires creativity and shot-making to go low.

For past results of the 2022 NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards: Pacific | Ontario

Additional information about the 2022 NextGen Western Championship can be found here.

NOTABLES

Cole Bergheim (Red Deer, Alta.)

Top 10 results at the 2021 NextGen Fall Series West Championship and the 2022 MJT National Championship sets Cole Bergheim up nicely for another stellar result at the NextGen Western Championship. Bergheim will be hoping to improve on his 15^th place finish at the NextGen Pacific Championship earlier this year, and he will have every chance to do so this week at Pine Hills Golf Club.

Logan Graff (Sylvan Lake, Alta.)

Graff, who plays out of the same club as Bergheim, will be poised to get his hands on the trophy in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. The Sylvan Lake, Alta. native finished as the runner-up at last year’s Alberta U19 Boys Championship and is keen on taking his game to the next level in 2022.

Georgia Barr (Calgary, Alta.)

The 2020 Alberta U17 Girls Champion will look to continue making strides in her young golf career at the NextGen Western Championship. In 2021, Barr’s game trended in the right direction with a 5^th place result at the Alberta U19 Girls Championship, a T8 finish at the Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship and a 13^th place finish at the 2021 NextGen Fall Series West Championship.

Eileen Park (Red Deer, Alta.)

Don’t let Eileen Park’s size or age fool you. As a 12-year-old, Park won every event in her age category on the Maple Leaf Junior Tour last season and finished in second place at the Alberta U19 Girls Championship. She’s proven she can play with the best of them before, and she will be looking to do so again when she tees it up in Rocky Mountain House on Thursday.

About the NextGen Championships series, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards

The NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is a high-performance junior golf series which totals eight competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2022 national championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf. 

PORT SEVERN, Ont. – There wasn’t much for Ben MacLean and Alessandra Nagayo to worry about on Saturday at Oak Bay Golf Club in Port Severn, Ont. 

MacLean (Niagara Falls, Ont.) led wire-to-wire and Nagayo (Toronto, Ont.) made a final round comeback to capture the titles in their respective divisions at the NextGen Ontario Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards.

MacLean carded rounds of 69, 69 and 70 for an 11-stroke victory for his second championship in as many weeks, after bringing home the 2022 Ontario Junior Spring Classic (U19) Boys Championship last week. 

“I made a huge jump in my game last year and I took most of the stuff I did last year and added to that,” said MacLean on his recent success. “[I’m] finding better shots off the tee and hitting my shots a lot better than I was last year which has been pretty helpful, and I’m trusting everything more.”

Next for the 17-year-old is the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier on June 6 at Oakdale Golf & Country Club, an event MacLean says he’s confident he can qualify for. 

Nagayo’s week wasn’t as straight forward, but the result was no different. Entering Saturday’s round five strokes back, the 18-year-old carded a final round 71 to win the Junior Girls division by five strokes. 

Swetha Sathish, who held the 36-hole lead in the Junior Girls division wasn’t able to get it done down the stretch, but her confidence remains intact.

“Thinking about those good shots, visualizing those good shots, and then making them happen was really crucial [this week],” said Sathish, and the positive thoughts didn’t end there.

“I see myself probably winning a couple provincial championships, maybe even a national championship, and definitely getting into a good university in the future and [eventually] going professional.” 

From the Junior Boys division, the top eight players have earned exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, August 6-10, at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, British Columbia.

Including Nagayo, the top eight players in the Junior Girls division have earned exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship taking place July 25-29 at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

For full results click here.

PORT SEVERN, Ont. – The 2022 NextGen Ontario Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards, is set to take place at Oak Bay Golf Club in Port Severn, Ont. from May 26 – 28. 

Practice rounds are scheduled for May 25, before the official tournament gets underway on May 26. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the top 48 Junior Boys and the top 24 Junior Girls (both including ties) in their respective divisions, for the final round of the 54-hole stroke play competition that will wrap up on May 28.

The top eight male competitors will earn a spot in the upcoming Canadian Junior Boys Championship – presented by BDO, August 7-10 at Rivershore Estates & Golf Links in Kamloops, B.C. The top eight female golfers (including ties) will also earn exemptions into this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship, July 25-29, at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ontario.

The starting field will feature 144 players – 96 Junior Boys and 48 Junior Girls – vying for a spot in their respective Canadian Junior Championship later this summer.

The NextGen Ontario Championship is the second of six regional junior championships presented in partnership with JOURNIE Rewards. Angela Arora and Eric Zhao took home the honours in the NextGen Pacific Championship earlier this month at Nanaimo Golf Club in B.C. For the full schedule of 2022 NextGen Championships click here.

Oak Bay Golf Club is nestled along the shoreline of the Georgian Bay and is a personification of nature at its finest. Its picturesque views and charming scenery are sights to see, but a full focus is required to score well at the challenging course located in the Muskoka region. While the yardage book may seem forgiving, Oak Bay is no walk in the park – even for the longest of hitters. Dense forests and rocky terrain, accompanied by the wetlands that surround, will leave little room for error at the NextGen Ontario Championship.

For past results of the 2022 NextGen Championships – fueled by JOURNIE Rewards: Pacific

Additional information about the 2022 NextGen Ontario Championship can be found here.

NOTABLES

Ben MacLean (Niagara Falls, Ont.)

Ben MacLean is fresh off a win at the 2022 Ontario Junior Spring Classic (U19) Boys Championship. Prior to that, the Team Canada national junior squad member recorded T2 and T4 finishes at the NextGen Pacific Championship and RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier (Ontario), respectively. The 17-year-old will be looking to add to his already impressive 2022 resume at Oak Bay.

Ryan Sommerville (Aurora, Ont.)

Ryan Sommerville is a name to look out for in Port Severn this week. The Team Ontario member ended his 2021 season with a strong showing at the NextGen Fall Series East Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards, finishing T3, and is looking to ride the wave into this year’s championship season.

Lindsay McGrath (Oakville, Ont.)

Lindsay McGrath celebrated the Victoria Day weekend on top at the 2022 Ontario Junior Spring Classic (U19) Girls Championship, claiming a one-shot victory with a final round 68. The youngest member of Team Ontario will look to go back-to-back at Oak Bay.

Nyah Kelly (Lindsay, Ont.)

Nyah Kelly was a top-10 machine in 2021, finishing amongst the leaders in each of the provincial and national tournaments she played in. To cap off a stellar season, Kelly notched a T2 finish at the NextGen Fall Series East Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards. With the 2022 season underway, Kelly is poised to take her game to the next level and land a first-place finish at the NextGen Ontario Championship.

About the NextGen Championships series, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards

The NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is a high-performance junior golf series which totals eight competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2022 national championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf. 

Nanaimo, B.C. — After battling rainy conditions in Nanaimo this week, the final round of the NextGen Pacific Championship – fueled by JOURNIE Rewards wrapped up on Sunday at Nanaimo Golf Club with Angela Arora and Eric Zhao each securing a one-stroke victory to win their respective divisions.  

The 54-hole stroke play competition marked the first of eight NextGen Championships and featured a starting field of 119 male and female golfers.

For Angela Arora, who hails from Surrey, B.C., the win marks the second championship title of the calendar year following her victory at the CJGA Western Canadian Championship in March. Arora, a member of Team Canada’s National Junior Squad, fired rounds of 70, 74, and 76 to earn the top spot on the leaderboard.

“This week was great, my putting was really good the first day and that got me off to a good start,” said the 17-year-old. It built some momentum into the week and overall, my game was in great shape. I had a couple holes today where I didn’t play as good but I figured it out and I finished strong which I’m really happy about.”

Eric Zhao, who finished second at the Golf Canada Junior Squad Selection Camp in 2021 recorded rounds of 73, 71, and 73. The 14-year-old Zhao is also a member of Golf Canada’s National Junior Squad.

“This week I tried to change my mentality a little bit,” said the North York, Ont. native. I tried to have fun throughout the whole week and honestly, if you have fun you’re probably going to play good so that’s a big takeaway from this week. It was definitely successful because I was way more confident over my shots.”

Including Arora, the top eight players in the Junior Girls division have earned exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship taking place July 25-29 at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

1	Angela Arora (Surrey, B.C.)
2	Lauren Kim (Surrey, B.C.)
3	Rebecca Kim (Victoria, B.C.)
4	Katie Cranston (Oakville, Ont.)
T5	Lauren Zaretsky (Thornhill, Ont.)
T5	Tina Jiang (Richmond, B.C.)
7	Ella Weber (Burlington, Ont.)
8	Amy Lee (Langley, B.C.)

From the Junior Boys division, the top eight players have earned exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, August 6-10, at Rivershore Estates & Golf Links in Kamloops, British Columbia.

1	Eric Zhao (Toronto, Ont.)
T2	Ben MacLean (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
T2	Cooper Humphreys (Kelowna, B.C.)
T4	Ethan Wilson (St Albert, Alta.)
T4	Félix Bouchard (Otterburn Park, Que.)
6	Caleb Davies (Langley, B.C)
7	Owen Kim (Oakville, Ont.)
8	Gavyn Knight (Parksville, B.C.)

For the full results, click here.

About the NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards

The NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is a high-performance junior golf series which totals eight competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2022 national championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf. 

Golf Canada’s championship season kicks off this Friday, May 13, in Nanaimo, B.C. with the NextGen Pacific Championship – fueled by JOURNIE Rewards, captaining the ship.

The 54-hole stroke play competition will begin with a practice round on May 12, before the official tournament gets underway on May 13. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the top 50 Junior Boys and top 20 Junior Girls, including ties, for the final round which is scheduled to wrap up on May 15.

The starting field will feature 119 male and female competitors – 82 Junior Boys and 37 Junior Girls – vying for a spot in their respective Canadian Junior Championship later this summer.

The top eight players in the Junior Boys division will earn exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, August 6-10, at Rivershore Estates & Golf Links in Kamloops, British Columbia. The top eight players (including ties) in the Junior Girls division will also earn exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, July 25-29, at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ontario. 

Nanaimo Golf Club, located on Vancouver Island, was designed by the renowned Pacific-Northwest golf course architect A.V. Machan and is widely considered one of the most prestigious clubs on the island. Though its official opening dates back to 1962, it was not until 1968 that it operated as an 18-hole course. From the championship tees, the par-72 course plays long, challenging golfers to muscle it far down the fairway to best set up an opportunity at reaching the green in regulation.

To follow the live leaderboard click here.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Malik Dao

Malik Dao is a name to look out for on the greens of Nanaimo Golf Course this week. As a member of Team Canada’s National Junior Squad, Dao enters the NextGen Pacific Championship with a host of competitive golf experience to his name and a ton of success to boot. The 2020 Quebec Men’s Amateur Champion knows what it takes to win a NextGen Championship, having already done so in 2020, and will be looking for a repeat performance in B.C.

Angela Arora

Angela Arora already has one championship under her belt in the calendar year, claiming the CJGA Western Canadian Championship at Mayfair Lakes in March, where she fired rounds of 72, 72 and 68 to win by one stroke. The Indiana University commit will now be looking to carry the momentum into Nanaimo this week but faces notable competition in fellow Team Canada National Junior Squad members, Ella Weber, Luna Lu and Yeji Kwon.

Lauren Zaretsky

Lauren Zaretsky will be another name to pay attention to when the tournament kicks off on Friday. The Thornhill, Ont., native made big steps in 2021, winning the Ontario Spring Classic and the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, and will be searching for her first title of 2022 in Nanaimo, B.C.

About the NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards

The NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is a high-performance junior golf series which totals eight competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2022 national championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf. 

For more information on the NextGen Pacific Championship, click here:

Golf Canada is pleased to announce its 2022 championship schedule, which includes amateur and professional competitions in addition to various qualifiers hosted at golf facilities across Canada.

The 2022 schedule is headlined by Golf Canada’s signature professional championships — the RBC Canadian Open, June 6-12, at St. George’s Golf & Country Club with host practice facility, Islington Golf Club in Toronto, Ont., and the CP Women’s Open, to be conducted August 22-28 at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

Golf Canada’s 2022 competition calendar includes nine National Amateur Championships presented by BDO, eight NextGen Championships fueled by JOURNIE Rewards, and the World Junior Girls Golf Championship presented by Sargent Farms. Interprovincial team competitions played concurrently over the first 36 holes at select national championships will return in 2022.

As the National Sport Federation and governing body of golf in Canada, Golf Canada conducts the country’s premier amateur and professional golf championships  to support the development of the nation’s top talent through world-class competition.

“Golf Canada is incredibly proud to return to a full championship schedule in 2022 and welcome more than 3,000 talented Canadian and international athletes to our national championships,” said Golf Canada’s CEO, Laurence Applebaum. “Together with our host clubs, corporate partners, and volunteers that help drive the success of our events, there is incredible momentum in our sport as we look ahead to the 2022 season.”

Golf Canada’s championship season kicks off on May 13 in Nanaimo, B.C. with the NextGen Pacific Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards at Nanaimo Golf Club, and concludes in October with the World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.

To view Golf Canada’s 2022 championship schedule, including all host venues, registration requirements and volunteer opportunities, please click here.

Championship Season at a Glance…

The 18th playing of the Canadian University/College Championship, presented by BDO will be held June 1-4 at Golf Château Bromont. The championship includes both a team and individual component featuring Canada’s top university and college talent.

The 108th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO takes place July 19-22 at Westmount Golf & Country Club in Kitchener, Ont. with the champion earning an exemption into the 2022 CP Women’s Open, as well as an exemption into the 2022 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. The winner also receives exemptions into the 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior, 2022 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and 2023 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championships, if applicable.

The 67th Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO will be contested July 26-29 at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont. where the winner will earn an exemption into the 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and the 2023 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.

The 117th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO will be contested August 1-4 at Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, B.C and Seymour Golf & Country Club in North Vancouver, B.C. A maximum field of 264 players will be cut to the low 70 players and ties after 36 holes, with the final two rounds contested at Point Grey. The champion will receive an exemption into the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, as well as an invitation to the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship. The winner will also receive an exemption from local qualifying for the 2023 U.S. Open, and if applicable, will earn an exemption into the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur, 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur or 2023 U.S. Junior Amateur Championships.

The 83rd playing of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO will be contested August 7-10 at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, B.C. with the winner earning an exemption into the 2023 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and 2023 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

The Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, presented by BDO will be held August 23-26 at The Thornhill Club in Thornhill, Ont., while the club is  celebrating its 100^th anniversary this season.

The Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship, presented by BDO will be held August 30 – September 1, at Breezy Bend Country Club in Headingley, M.B. with the Senior champion earning an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship and 2023 U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

As part its centennial anniversary, Red Deer Golf & Country Club in Red Deer, Alta. will host the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, presented by BDO from September 6-9, with the champion earning an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship.

The second playing of the Canadian All Abilities Championship, presented by BDO, a national championship for players with neurological, intellectual, sensory, and physical impairments, will be held September 13-14 at Essex Golf & Country Club in Windsor, Ont.

The NextGen Championships, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards is a high-performance junior golf series which totals eight competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2022 national championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.  The 2022 NextGen Championship host clubs include Nanaimo Golf Club (Nanaimo, B.C.), Oak Bay Golf Club (Port Severn, Ont.), Pine Hills Golf Club (Rocky Mountain House, Alta.), Quarry Oaks (Steinbach, MB), Club de Golf Hemmingford (Hemmingford, Qué.), and Antigonish Golf & Country Club (Antigonish, NS). An additional two Fall Series championships will take place in September and October, where players will compete for exemptions into their respective 2023 national junior championships. 

An accomplished field of international competitors will take to Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont., from October 10-15, for the seventh annual World Junior Girls Golf Championship, presented by Sargent Farms. The event will welcome 25 countries playing as 3-member squads competing for both a team and individual title.

Golf Canada has also confirmed that it will not be continuing with the National Orders of Merit, beginning in 2022. Previously used to track golfer performance, the rankings will be replaced by a comprehensive talent identification system that supports the new Canadian golf high-performance strategy.

Powell River, B.C. — The final round of the NextGen Fall Series West Championship wrapped up on Saturday at Myrtle Point Golf Club with Tina Jiang securing a convincing nine-stroke victory in the Girls division and Hyunjun Lee earning the win in the Boys division.

The final round of the tournament was scheduled to conclude on Sunday Sept. 26, but the weather in Powell, B.C. had other ideas. Due to an impending storm in the forecast the final 36 holes were all played on Saturday. 

The early start didn’t phase Tina Jiang, who hails from Richmond, B.C. The 16-year-old cruised to the win on the strength of an opening-round 67 (-5) that set her up for the wire-to-wire win at 10 under par.

“The key to my success this week was my irons and my putting,” said the Richmond, B.C. native. “I made a lot of tough putts which helped me out quite a bit.”

Jiang will be joined by second and third place finishers Martina Yu (Coquitlam, B.C) and Yeji Kwon (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) at the 2022 Canadian Girls Championship. Yu and Kwon finished 1 under and 3 over, respectively.

In the Boys division, 15-year-old Hyunjun Lee rallied for the come-from-behind victory with a score of 73—his third straight. The North Vancouver native began the day one stroke back of the lead and found himself trailing by that same margin heading into the final nine holes. 

Lee was clutch after making the turn, carding a birdie on the 12th hole followed by an eagle on the par-5 15th. He finished the tournament with a three-stroke cushion. 

Finishing second was Manpreet Lalh of Nanaimo, B.C., who held the lead for the opening two rounds. He shot a final-round 77 to finish at 6 over par. Sharing third place at 7 over par were four competitors: Shunkichi Yamamoto (Victoria, B.C.), Freddy Sun (Vancouver) Justin Bjornson (Surrey, B.C.) and Matthew Wilson (Nanaimo, B.C.).

The third and final exemption into the 2022 Canadian Junior Boys was decided in a four-man playoff with Bjornson emerging victorious on the second playoff hole.

The tournament marked the second to be played this year in the NextGen series. Golf Canada has eight NextGen tournaments scheduled for 2022 leading with the NextGen Pacific Championship in May.

Click here for scoring and additional information.

Powell River, BC. — The second installment of Golf Canada’s NextGen series, the Fall Series West Championship, is set to commence on Friday, Sept. 24 at Myrtle Point Golf Club.

With support from British Columbia Golf, 70 golfers aged 12 to 18 will be competing in the 54 hole stroke play tournament following a practice round on Sept. 23. The event marks the second to be played in the series after a 2020 re-brand due to COVID cancellations.

Nestled in the foothills of the Coastal Mountains, Myrtle Point Golf Club was designed by renowned golf course architect Les Furber and features tree-lined fairways, lakes, ponds, streams, and strategically placed bunkers.

“The staff at Myrtle Point Golf Club and the support from the city of Powell River are driving forces in the success of the Fall Series West Championship,” said tournament director Akash Patel. “We look forward to what is sure to be an exciting competition between Canada’s top junior golf talent.”

The field will consist of 48 golfers in the Junior Boys Division, with the top three earning exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship from Aug. 7 -11 at Rivershore Estates & Golf Links in Kamloops, British Columbia. 

The Junior Girls Division is made up of 22 golfers, also with the top three (including ties) earning exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship from July 25-29.

Additional information about the 2021 NextGen Fall Series West Championship can be found here.

Results from the East Series Championship which concluded Sept. 19 can be found here.

Timmins, Ont. — The final round of the NextGen Fall Series East Championship concluded with Ella Weber of Burlington, Ont., sealing the victory in the Girls division with a two-stroke win at the Hollinger Golf Club on Sunday. In the Boys division, Cameron Pero of Bloomfield, Ont., emerged as champion with a three-stroke victory.

Weber, who plays out of RattleSnake Point Golf Club, closed with a final-round 77 to leapfrog into first place to take home the title. The four-time CJGA champion made her mark in the front nine, carding an even par 36 to distance herself from the field.

“It feels great—I’m really excited to have won,” said the Team Ontario member. “The key for me was my ability to take irons of the tee and try to hit fairways and greens… try to take it one step at a time.”

Rounding out the top three were Nyah Kelly (Lindsay, Ont.) and 36-hole leader Karolyn Zeng (Vaughan, Ont.), both finishing tied for second place at 18 over par. The duo will join Weber next year at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

In the Boys division, Pero held on to his second-round lead on Sunday after a final-round 72 (+1) sealed the deal. The Picton Golf & Country Club member birdied two of his first four holes to find an early rhythm on route to the three-stroke victory.

“Everything came together this week for me,” said Pero. “My irons left me a lot of easy putts which really helped… the course was super tough.”

Finishing second was Ben MacLean of Niagara Falls, Ont., who shot a 1-under-par 70 on Sunday to finish at 4 over. He was trailed by Aurora, Ont., product Ryan Somerville who closed the tournament at 9 over par. All three competitors earned exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, Ont., from Aug. 8-11.

The competition marked the third year of the Fall Series, and first under the new NextGen umbrella. The second and final NextGen Fall Series championship takes place next week from Sept. 24-26 at Myrtle Point Golf Club in Powell River, B.C.

Click here for scoring and additional information.