Sonja Tang goes back-to-back in women’s individual championship while Jackson Jacob wins men’s individual championship
Komoka, Ont. – The University of British Columbia Thunderbirds women’s golf team has added to their remarkable success, capturing their sixth consecutive championship and sixteenth title in the 19-year history of the event at the 2023 Canadian University/College Championship presented by BDO at FireRock Golf Club in Komoka, Ont.
Following an outstanding final round, the UBC Thunderbirds concluded their strong week on Friday, showcasing their talent with a collective score of 6-under, 870, giving them a commanding 63-shot victory.
“We had a lot of success last week winning the U.S. championship that we play for in the NAIA but this one is equally as special because its Canada. It’s where we’re from and most of our players are from Canada so it’s a really exciting experience for them to go out and play against their friends and travel around the country and see more parts of it, so I think its really exciting,” said UBC Thunderbirds Head Coach Chris MacDonald.
After leading wire-to-wire, Sonja Tang (UBC Thunderbirds) claimed her second consecutive women’s individual championship, finishing at 4-under, 288 for the tournament. Tang shot a 1-over, 74 in the final round. Notably, Tang’s teammates Élizabeth Labbé and Grace Bell also made their mark in the final round, finishing tied for second at 1-over par, 293 for the tournament. Teammate Bo Brown finished tied for sixth at 14-over, 306 for tournament.
“It definitely feels amazing to be winning yet again. Definitely today, I struggled coming back on the back nine, but I think I kept myself calm and patient out there, I think that was how I maintained my nerves a little bit,” said Tang.
“I think we’re just a very special group, we are all pretty close with each other. It’s always fun to travel with these girls and we also played a couple division one tournaments which kept us humble. We practice really hard at home, so I think it’s all just really amazing,” added Tang.
The Victoria Vikes emerged victorious in the men’s team division after a tough battle all week. The Vikes held a one-shot lead heading into the final round and shot 10-under on Friday to finish the tournament at 14-under, 13 shots clear of the Université Laval Rouge et Or. The University of Victoria men’s team was comprised of Robin Conlan, Zachary Ryujin, Liam Mosher, Aiden Craig-Steele and Chase Basanta.
“I was really proud of the guys on the back nine today. They pressed pretty hard, and our game plan today was to play aggressive. We only had a one-shot lead but 17-under is doable here as Fraser Valley did yesterday. The guys deserve it, they work really hard, they were really motivated. It took us ten years to get one since I’ve been coaching so it feels pretty good,” said Victoria Vikes Head Coach Justin Clews.
Clews is happy to add this win to the team banner hanging in the school’s gym. “I definitely look at that banner when we’re in the gym and know that we’re due. Whether it’s the men or women’s team but our men’s team has been pretty strong the last 15 years. It’s a huge accomplishment for our program and I know our university is going to be ecstatic to put that 2023 on the banner.”
After holding the lead for the week, Jackson Jacob was crowned the men’s individual champion, shooting a final round 3-under to finish 17-under, 271 for the tournament.
“You never expect to have a nine-shot lead going into the final round. I would have rather not had that big of a lead because I’ve never been in that position before, so the first nine holes were really challenging to keep my foot on the gas and keep it steady,” said Jacob. “It was a bit of a rough go at the start, but I sorted it out and I’m really proud of being able to shoot under par again today. All things considered that’s probably what I’m most proud of this week is finishing strong.”
With their individual titles, both Tang and Jacob have earned exemptions into their respective Canadian Amateur Championships. The 109th Canadian Women’s Amateur takes place at the Ashburn Golf Club in Halifax from July 31 to August 4 and the 118th Canadian Men’s Amateur takes place August 5-10 at The Pulpit Club in Caledon, Ont.
For the final standings from the Canadian University/College Championship click here.
Top-5 Women’s – Individual
| POS | NAME | SCORES | TOTAL |
| 1 | Sonja Tang | 68, 70, 76, 74 | -4 |
| T2 | Élizabeth Labbé | 71, 79, 71, 72 | +1 |
| T2 | Grace Bell | 71, 77, 72, 73 | +1 |
| 4 | Lexie McKay | 72, 75, 80, 73 | +8 |
| 5 | Sukriti Harjai | 78, 71, 76, 78 | +11 |
Top-5 Men’s – Individual
| POS | NAME | SCORES | TOTAL |
| 1 | Jackson Jacob | 68, 71, 63, 69 | -17 |
| 2 | Liam Mosher | 72, 68, 72, 67 | -9 |
| 3 | Justin Allen | 73, 67, 71, 70 | -7 |
| T4 | Andrew Rouble | 71, 69, 71, 74 | -3 |
| T4 | Zachary Ryujin | 74, 72, 69, 70 | -3 |
| T4 | David Tweddell | 73, 70, 70, 72 | -3 |
Top-5 Women’s – Team
| POS | NAME | SCORES | TOTAL |
| 1 | University of British Columbia Thunderbirds | 210, 225, 216, 219 | -6 |
| 2 | University of Victoria Vikes | 237, 222, 237, 237 | +57 |
| 3 | University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat | 230, 234, 234, 239 | +61 |
| 4 | Humber College Hawks | 232, 234, 244, 241 | +75 |
| 5 | University of the Fraser Valley Cascades | 237, 237, 233, 246 | +77 |
Top-5 Men’s – Team
| POS | NAME | SCORES | TOTAL |
| 1 | University of Victoria Vikes | 290, 283, 287, 278 | -14 |
| 2 | Université Laval Rouge et Or | 289, 284, 288, 290 | -1 |
| 3 | University of the Fraser Valley Cascades | 299, 292, 271, 302 | +12 |
| T4 | University of British Columbia Thunderbirds | 295, 287, 285, 299 | +14 |
| T4 | McMaster University Marauders | 295, 292, 286, 299 | +14 |