2013 Juvenile Boys’ and Girls’ Championship
Final Recap
Alex and Sumie Francois Keep it in the Family With Wins at British Columbia Juvenile Boys’ and Girls’ Championship
Brother and sister combination both claimed respective championship titles over competitive field at Crown Isle Resort and Golfing Community; Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club members A. Francois and Diego San Pedro capture Club Team title
Courtenay, British Columbia (BRITISH COLUMBIA GOLF)-Alex Francois and Sumie Francois of Burnaby captured their respective British Columbia Juvenile Boys’ and Girls’ titles today at the Crown Isle Resort and Golfing Community in Courtenay, British Columbia.
A. Francois, 15, started the day a single stroke ahead of his nearest competitor in Vancouver’s Trevor Yu but would certainly not finish with that margin against the experienced 16-year-old from Marine Drive GC. A. Francois neither excelled or imploded on his first 14 holes, carding three bogeys and two birdies to sit at +1 on the day, -4 for the tournament.
“Me and Trevor were going back at each other. He started off with two birdies. I just tried to keep myself calm and fight through,” mentioned A. Francois.
Keep calm is what he did, all the way up to the par-5 15th hole where he would make an exceptional eagle and essentially close the competition with three great strokes.
Alex Francois hoisting the Gerry Walker Memorial Trophy as Juvenile Boys' champion
“It was the turning point. Trevor and I both hit good drives down the middle and he hit a great second shot. I just happened to hit it inside of him to about 15-20 feet and he got an easy two putt,” stated A. Francois.
“I just made [my putt] and that was the tournament right there.”
Asked about how his win at the PGA of BC Club Pro-Junior earlier in the year with eventual B.C. Juvenile runner-up Diego San Pedro, 15 of Richmond helped him raise the Gerry Walker Memorial trophy this week, A. Francois was frank.
“It just gave me the confidence to know that I could make as much birdies as I could and that I could stand up under the pressure.”
A. Francois’s three round 208, -8 total (70-69-69) provided him a seven-stroke winning marging over Shaughnessy G&CC junior member and friend San Pedro. After opening with rounds of 73-72, the 15-year-old San Pedro would fire a 2-under-par 70 to finish the event under-par at -1. For a brief moment on his back nine, San Pedro had it to within two-strokes of the lead but with A. Francois playing behind him, he was unable to keep the pressure up and would eventually finish T2 along with defending champion Henry Lee, 15 from Coquitlam.
After a tournament best second round 68, Lee would be unable to mount a comeback to make it two-in-a-row, posting a 2-over-par 74 in today’s final round. His line of 73-68-74-215 made him the only other player under-par for the Championship.
Finishing in a tie for fourth at 216 were Trevor Yu (70-70-76) and 15-year-old Sy Lovan of Surrey (72-71-73).
While A. Francois was marching to victory, his 13-year-old sister Sumie was deadlocked in a tight battle with Team Canada Development Squad member Naomi Ko, 15 of Victoria.
S. Francois would start her round in the rear-view-mirror of Shirin Anjarwalla, 13 of Nanaimo but would quickly close the gap after a difficult start by Anjarwalla. It would be a ping-pong match between S. Francois and fellow group member Ko all afternoon, with both players trading or tying for the lead throughout the entire match. It wasn’t until the par-3 12th hole that S. Francois would accelerate into a three-stroke lead with a birdie and a Ko bogey, a lead she would not look back on before her victory.
“Naomi is a great golfer. I was happy with what I did,” stated S. Francois.
“I was happy I beat my brother on the first day but on the second day it was pretty tough. I was struggling a lot but I was able to handle it today.”
S. Francois’s 54-hole line of 69-79-72-220 (+4) gave her a two-stroke margin of victory over Ko who would fire an even-par round of 72 in today’s final, coming up just shy in her Juvenile Girls’ title attempt. She would finish with rounds of 77-73-72-222.
Sumie posing with the trophy as the 2013 Juvenile Girls' champion
Finishing in a tie with Ko in second place was 16-year-old Keanna Mason of Maple Ridge, a member at the Pitt Meadows Golf Club. Mason, who hadn’t broke 40 on her front nine all week, did exactly what she needed to do to start her day off, posting a respectable 1-over-par 37 to get her round going. She would break par on her back nine for the second day-in-a-row with a 2-under-par 34 but would remain a hair shy of S. Francois for the win. Her final round 71 was the lowest score on the day in the Girls’ division along with 15-year-old Alisha Lau of Richmond.
Finishing in 4th was Anjarwalla (76-71-76-223), 5th was Lau (78-76-71-225) and 6th went to Courtenay’s Abigail Rigsby (75-78-74-227),14 and a member at Crown Isle.
Capturing the Club Team trophy were the duo of A. Francois and San Pedro as representatives of Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club.
Asked how it felt to be one of only two brother and sister combinations to win the same event in recent history (Andy and Jennifer Yang captured the Junior Masters in 2007), words were not needed as Sumie simply leaned over and hugged her brother with a big smile on her face. A perfect end to a perfect week.
British Columbia Golf would like to thank the staff and volunteers at the Crown Isle Resort and Golfing Community for their tireless work over the course of the week.
Here is a video of the two Francois’s from four years ago by the Golf Channel
Round Two Recap
Alex Francois and Shirin Anjarwalla Have Eyes Set on Juvenile Boys’ and Girls’ Titles with One Round Remaining
A. Francois leads by a single shot over Trevor Yu in Boys’ division while Anjarwalla holds the same lead over round one leader Sumie Francois in Girls’ division; Zone 4 easily captures Zone Team title
Courtenay, British Columbia (BRITISH COLUMBIA GOLF)-Alex Francois and Shirin Anjarwalla both hold single stroke leads over their nearest competitors in their quest to be crowned British Columbia’s Juvenile Boys’ and Girls’ champions at Crown Isle Resort and Golfing Community in Courtenay, British Columbia.
After opening her Championship with a 4-over-par 76, Shirin Anjarwalla (pictured above), 13 of Nanaimo and a member of the Nanaimo Golf Club, strung together today’s only under-par round in the Girls’ division, shooting a 1-under 71 to post a two-round 147 (+3) total. Compliments of her fine play through 36-holes, Anjarwalla holds a narrow one-stroke margin of lead over first round leader and fellow 13-year-old Sumie Francois of Burnaby
S. Francois, a Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club member, struggled during her second round, shooting 10 strokes higher than her opening 3-under-par 69. Her two round 69-79-148 total has her well within striking distance of Anjarwalla at 4-over-par heading into tomorrow’s final round.
Team Canada National Development Squad member and Victoria resident Naomi Ko, 15, jumped one place in the standings and was four strokes better during today’s second round, sitting alone in third place at +6 (77-73-150). Ko’s day began with a lacklustre opening nine holes at 4-over-par 40 before exploding for a 3-under-par 33 inward half. This tied the day’s lowest inward half with fellow group member Keanna Mason of Maple Ridge.
Mason, a 16-year-old member of Pitt Meadows GC, not only matched Ko’s inward half but also her overall score on the day, posting a second round 1-over-par 73. Her two round 151, +7 (78-73) total places her only four strokes behind Anjarwalla and poised to make a run at her first Juvenile Girls’ title.
Local Courtenay resident and Crown Isle member Abigail Rigsby, 14, slid in the wrong direction on the leader board today, posting a 6-over-par 78 on a day that featured higher winds and a longer course set up. Her +9 two-round total (75-78-153) has her six strokes back of the lead, requiring an early move tomorrow to get into contention.
In the Boys’ division, Alex Francois(pictured below), 15 of Burnaby and brother to Sumie, continued his hot play by posting a 3-under-par 69 second round score to bring his two-round total to -5, 139. His scores of 70-69 have allowed him to amass a lead, albeit small, over 16-year-old Trevor Yu of Vancouver.
Alex Francois teeing off on number 12 during today's second round action
Yu, a member of Marine Drive Golf Club and recent Canada Summer Games Team BC gold medalist, has showed consistency over his first two rounds, posting identical 2-under-par 70′s to get his total to -4, 140. Yu will be paired with A. Francois in tomorrow’s final round along with current third place and defending champion Henry Lee of Coquitlam.
Lee, a 15-year-old member of Swan-e-Set Bay Resort in Pitt Meadows, carded today’s best round at 4-under-par 68 to vault himself back into contention after a first round 1-over-par 73. His two round 141, -3 total grants him a place in the final grouping tomorrow and the opportunity to put pressure on A. Francois early and often in his quest to repeat as champion.
Alone in fourth place thanks to a 1-under-par round is Sy Lovan, 15 of Surrey and a member at the storied Capilano Golf and Country Club. After opening his Championship with an even-par 72, Lovan would post a red number today thanks to five birdies and four bogeys on the par-72, 6,555 yard Crown Isle layout. Lovan is one of only four players to sit under par after 36-holes.
Four players in the Boys’ division sit within six strokes of A. Francois at T5, including fellow Shaughnessy G&CC junior member in 15-year-old Diego San Pedro of Richmond (73-72-145).
Capturing the two-day Zone Team competition was the quartet from Zone 4 in Yu, A. Francois, Lovan and 16-year-old Philip Mak of Vancouver. Their team total of -10 (422) gave them a landslide victory of 19 strokes over the host Zone 6 represented by Courtenay’s Matthew Irvine (16) and Logan Yanick (16), Parksville’s Santiago Bouyra (16) and Nanaimo’s Kevin Bishop (15).
A cut in the Boys’ division to the low 60 and ties was made at 161 (+17) with 62 players making it through to tomorrow’s final round. There is no cut in the Girls’ division due to the size of the field. Players will tee off tomorrow on both holes 1 and 10 beginning at 7:30am with the leaders in both the Girls’ and Boys’ divisions going off last on hole one.
Spectators are welcomed and encouraged to attend the Championship as entry is free-of-charge.
For tee times and scoring results for the Boys’ Championship, please click here.
For tee times and scoring results for the Girls’ Championship, please click here
To follow along on social media, please use the official hashtag #BCJuveniles
Round One Recap
Brother and Sister Set Pace at British Columbia Juvenile Boys’ and Girls’ Championship After Round One
Alex Francois shares lead in Juvenile Boys’ division with Trevor Yu while Sumie Francois holds a six stroke lead in Juvenile Girls’ division
Courtenay, British Columbia (BRITISH COLUMBIA GOLF)-British Columbia Golf’s Juvenile Boys’ and Girls’ Championship is being led by a brother and sister combo after the first round at the Crown Isle Resort and Golfing Community in Courtenay, B.C.
Alex Francois,15 of Burnaby, playing in the Juvenile Boys’ division, and Sumie Francois,13 of Burnaby and playing in the Girls’ division, hold the lead or a share of the lead in both of their respective divisions following first round play.
Alex Francois, a member of Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, posted an uneventful front nine that featured a single birdie followed up with a bogey on the next hole. After making the turn in even par 36, A. Francois would card four birdies and two bogeys on his inward half, posting a two-under-par 70. He would hold sole possession of the lead for no longer than 90-minutes as Vancouver’s Trevor Yu would post a matching score just behind him.
Trevor Yu getting in the zone before he tees off at the British Columbia Juvenile Boys'
Yu, a 16-year-old who only last week captured a gold medal as part of the winning Team British Columbia at the Canada Summer Games in Quebec, carded a round that featured four birdies and two bogeys. It is only to be assumed that those two bogeys were due to what he called ” a couple loose swings” following his round.
Others to break into the red numbers after round one are a quartet sitting tied for third at one-under-par 71 in Patrick Tan, 16 of Vancouver, Ole Hatlelid, 16 of Ladner, Ian Kim, 16 of Surrey and 15-year-old Kyle Leiman of Victoria. All four players seek to close the gap with Francois and Yu heading into tomorrow’s second round before the cut to the low 60 players and ties following 36-holes.
Five players are sitting at even-par 72 after day one including local Courtenay resident and 16-year-old Crown Isle member Matthew Irvine.
In the Girls’ division, Alex Francois’ younger sister and fellow Shaughnessy G&CC member, 13-year-old Sumie was the only person to break 70 during today’s round at the meticulously manicured Crown Isle by scoring a three-under-par 69. Sumie Francois, a graduate of the 2012 British Columbia Summer Games program, was more efficient than her brother during round one, needing only four birdies and a single bogey to post her score.
Teeing off with her ever-prominent beaming smile, S. Francois would finish in the same fashion after mounting a six-stroke lead over her closest competitor in local Courtenay resident and Crown Isle member Abigail Rigsby. Rigsby, who only last weekend won the Women’s Club Championship as a 14-year-old Junior by 12-strokes, posted a first-round three-over-par 75 on her home course.
Sitting in solo third is fellow Islander Shirin Anjarwalla, 13 of Nanaimo, after a very respectable four-over-par 76 on a difficult layout that is a strong test for a golfer playing with competitors almost three years her senior.
Shirin Anjarwalla off one during her first round of BC Juvenile Girls'
Team Canada Development Squad member and recent Team BC gold medalist at the 2013 Canada Summer Games Naomi Ko, 15 of Victoria, opened her Championship bid with a five-over-par 77 to lock down fourth place on her own. Maple Ridge’s Keanna Mason, 16, Surrey’s Claire Lovan, 11, and 15-year-old Alisha Lau of Richmond are tied for fifth at +6 (78).
After round one, the team representing Zone 4 leads Zone 2 by nine strokes. Zone and Club Team competitions will be decided following tomorrow’s second round action.
Both the Boys’ and Girls’ Championships are a 54-hole stroke play competitions. The Boys’ Championship features a cut to the low 60 players and ties following 36-holes. Due to a limited field, no cut will occur after 36-holes for the Girls’ Championship.
First contested in 2005, the Juvenile Girls’ Championship has been captured by a number of current and former Team Canada players including SooBin Kim (2008), Taylor Kim (2009) and Anica Yoo (2010). Other champions include 2011 Royale Cup Canadian Junior Girls’ champion Jennifer Yang (2006) and former North Carolina State University Wolfpack member Amanda Baker (2007).
The Juvenile Boys’ Championship was first played in 1974 and since then a plethora of champions have emerged victorious including notables such as Jim Rutledge (1976), Gordie Scutt (1995, 1996), Team Canada Development Squad member Kevin Kwon (2009) and 2012 BC Summer Games gold medalist Curtis Chan (2010). Following the passing of Gerry Walker, a dedicated volunteer of British Columbia Golf, the Juvenile Boys’ trophy was named in his honour thanks to his tireless volunteer effort and his unwavering passion for junior golf in our province.
Spectators are welcomed and encouraged to attend the Championship as entry is free-of-charge.
For tee times and scoring results for the Boys’ Championship, please click here.
For tee times and scoring results for the Girls’ Championship, please click here
To follow along on social media, please use the official hashtag #BCJuveniles
Preview
British Columbia’s Top Juvenile Golfers Head to Crown Isle Resort and Golfing Community
Richmond, British Columbia (BRITISH COLUMBIA GOLF)-British Columbia Golf’s Juvenile Boys’ and Girls’ Championship is heading to the Crown Isle Resort and Golfing Community in Courtenay, B.C., from August 20-22, 2013.
Featuring a challenging layout with views of the Beaufort mountain range and Comox Glacier, Crown Isle will play host to golfers aged 16 and younger as a par-72 6,555 yard course for the Boys’ Championship compared to a par-72 5,805 yard course for the Girls’ Championship.
Defending his 2012 Boys’ title against a hungry field of challengers will be Henry Lee, 15 of Coquitlam and a member of Swan-e-Set Bay Resort. Lee has played solid golf during his 2013 campaign to date, placing T22 at the stacked British Columbia Junior Boys’ Championship hosted by the Revelstoke GC earlier in the year. Lee would like to make it back-to-back Juvenile wins but will have a talented field of 102 other golfers chasing him down at this years’ event.
No doubt to be leader board favourites at this years’ Championship are Coldstream’s Austin Bosquet, 16, Parksville’s Santiago Bouyra, 16, 2011 Bantam Boys’ champion A.J. Ewart, 14 of Coquitlam, 15-year-old Alex Francois of Burnaby and recent PNGA Junior Boys’ standout Andrew Funk, 16 of Sidney.
Others to keep an eye out for as potential Gerry Walker Memorial trophy holders come weeks end are Kaleb Gorbahn, 16 of Smithers, Courtenay’s Matthew Irvine and Logan Yanick, both 16-year-old members of Crown Isle, Diego San Pedro, 15 of Richmond and Trevor Yu, 16 of Vancouver. Yu just recently posted exceptional numbers at the 2013 Canada Summer Games as a member of the gold medal performing Team BC while San Pedro was crowned an Eddie Hogan Cup Team BC champion earlier this month.
In the Girls’ Championship, Janet Zhang will not be defending her 2012 title, leaving the way for the likes of 16-year-old Keanna Mason of Maple Ridge, Team Canada Development Squad member Naomi Ko, 16 of Victoria, 13-year-old phenom Sumie Francois of Burnaby or Halfmoon Bay’s Avery Struck, 16, to mark their name in history as the Juvenile Girls’ champion.
Both the Boys’ and Girls’ Championships will be 54-hole stroke play competitions beginning tomorrow. The Boys’ Championship features a cut to the low 60 players and ties following 36 holes. Due to a limited field, no cut will occur after 36-holes for the Girls’ Championship. During rounds one and two, the Zone and Club team competitions will be contested.
First contested in 2005, the Juvenile Girls’ Championship has been captured by a number of current and former Team Canada players including SooBin Kim (2008), Taylor Kim (2009) and Anica Yoo (2010). Other champions include 2011 Royale Cup Canadian Junior Girls’ champion Jennifer Yang (2006) and former North Carolina State University Wolfpack member Amanda Baker (2007).
The Juvenile Boys’ Championship was first played in 1974 and since then a plethora of champions have emerged victorious including notables such as Jim Rutledge (1976), Gordie Scutt (1995, 1996), Team Canada Development Squad member Kevin Kwon (2009) and 2012 BC Summer Games gold medalist Curtis Chan (2010). Following the passing of Gerry Walker, a dedicated volunteer of British Columbia Golf, the Juvenile Boys’ trophy was named in his honour thanks to his tireless volunteer effort and his unwavering passion for junior golf in our province.
Spectators are welcomed and encouraged to attend the Championship as entry is free-of-charge.
For tee times and scoring results for the Boys’ Championship, please click here.
For tee times and scoring results for the Girls’ Championship, please click here
For MEDIA GUIDE, please click here
To follow along on social media, please use the official hashtag #BCJuveniles