BURNABY — Ryan Vest has had enough of second-place finishes. He’s more than a little hungry for a win. Vest has an opportunity to get the biggest win of his life in Thursday’s final round of the 124th playing of the B.C. Amateur Championship at Burnaby’s Riverway Golf Course.
The 19-year-old Vernon native enters the final round tied for second, one shot behind third-round leader Paxton Maxwell of Magrath, Alta.
“I like the position I am in,” Vest said after his one-under 70 in Wednesday’s third round left him at seven-under par. “I prefer coming from behind, to be honest, rather than holding the lead, which can be a difficult thing. I am excited for tomorrow. It should be fun.”
Final rounds haven’t always been fun for Vest, a former B.C. Bantam Boys champion who finished second three times at the B.C. Junior Boys Championship. “This is a big event for me,” Vest said. “It’s our provincial championship, you know, and to win it would be awesome, right? That’s my goal. I’ve had a lot of seconds, as you know. Three of them in the B.C. Junior, so I’m really excited to go out tomorrow and hopefully get the job done.”
A win would continue what has been a great summer for Vest, who was part of the UBC-Okanagan team that won last month’s Canadian University-College Championship.
Maxwell finished his third round — a four-under 67 — with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes to grab the solo lead at eight-under. He’s pleased to have the opportunity to become the first Albertan since Riley Fleming in 2012 to win the B.C. Amateur.
“It was a nice way to cap off the round,” said Maxwell, who is heading to the University of Missouri this fall. “You play the game to compete and try to win. That was the goal coming in here, to play my best golf and have the cards fall where they may. I’m excited to go out and compete tomorrow.”
Joining Vest and Maxwell in the final group will be Nanaimo’s Matthew Wilson, who shot a four-under 67 to tie Vest at seven-under. Wilson birdied three of his final four holes to play his way into the final group.
“I am in a great position for tomorrow,” said Wilson, who is transferring to the University of Tulsa this fall after playing two years at Weber State University in Utah. “I like coming from behind. Having the lead in the final round is not always the best thing.”
Several other players will enter the final round with a chance to challenge for the title. Coquitlam’s Ethan Posthumus, Aidan Liu of Richmond and Nathan Szpakowicz of Vancouver are tied for fourth at five-under par. Alex Zhang of Richmond and Kelowna’s Finley Dober are tied for seventh at four-under. The final group will tee off at 9 a.m. on Thursday. Spectators are welcome.
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