Jackson Rothwell Will Take A One Shot Lead Into The Final Round Of The 2019 B.C. Amateur At Big Sky GC In Pemberton - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PEMBERTON -- Jackson Rothwell blitzed the front nine at Big Sky Golf Club, had to scramble on the back nine and emerged with a one-shot lead after Thursday’s third round of the 117th B.C. Amateur Championship. “It was a bit of a roller-coaster,” the 18-year-old from Victoria said. “The front nine was spectacular. The back nine was tough.”

Rothwell ended up with a four-under 68 that left him at nine-under par through 54 holes. Isaac Lee of Pitt Meadows is one shot back. Rothwell had a magical streak of four holes on his front nine starting at the par 5 fourth hole. He went birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie and did not have to sink a putt longer than five feet.

Surrey's Angel Lin Had The Low Round Of The Tournament Thus Far In The 2019 BC Women's Amateur At Nanaimo GC - File Photo/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

If Alisha Lau and Phoebe Yue thought they were going to turn the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship into a two-player race, they learned Thursday that Angel Lin had other plans.

Lin, a 16-year-old from Surrey, moved into contention with a tournament-low four-under 68 in Thursday’s third round that left her just one back of Lau and Yue. Lin made six birdies in her trip around Nanaimo Golf Club. She got her round started with birdies on the first two holes and finished nicely by birdieing two of her final three holes.

“The first two definitely gave me some momentum,” Lin said. “On the first hole I hit it to about three feet and on the second hole I think I had about a four-and-a-half footer. So that was a nice way to start.”

North Cowichan's Tristan Mandur, A Former B.C. Junior Boys Champion, Is Tied For The Lead Heading Into The 3rd Round Of The B.C. Amateur At Big Sky GC - Image Credits Jurgen Kaminski/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PEMBERTON -- It didn’t just rain during Wednesday’s second round of the B.C. Amateur Championship at Big Sky Golf Club. At times, it absolutely poured.

It rained so hard that mudslides could be heard thundering down Mount Currie, which towers over the Pemberton layout, and suddenly par became everyone’s best friend. “I made a couple of big numbers coming in,” said first-round leader Jackson Rothwell, who finished his second round in the worst of the weather.

“I don’t want to blame it all on the rain, but it definitely didn’t make it easy. Your grips get wet, even just standing there in the rain it is tough to keep your concentration. You are trying to keep everything dry. Everybody has got to play in it, but it’s tough to keep focused.”

West Vancouver's Phoebe Yue Had The Day's Low Round Moving Her Into A Tie For The Lead At The B.C. Women's Amateur At Nanaimo GC After Round Two - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

They have each won a B.C. Junior Girls Championship and now Alisha Lau and Phoebe Yue have an opportunity to add a B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship to their trophy collection.

The two good friends are tied for the lead at the halfway mark of the Women’s Amateur at Nanaimo Golf Club. They stand at even par through 36 holes and are four shots ahead of the rest of the field. Yue, a 19-year-old West Vancouver resident who just completed her freshman year at UCLA in Southern California, had the day’s best round. She fired a one-under 71 on Wednesday.

“I am pretty pleased with the round,” Yue said. “I had a couple of birdie putts from inside 10 feet that didn’t go in. Those hurt a little bit, but I am happy with how I played. There were some little mistakes here and there and I could have made some more putts, but I am feeling good.”

Victoria, BC's Jeevan Sihota Will Tee It Up In The 72nd U.S. Junior Amateur At The Famed Inverness Club Next Week - Image Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada

TOLEDO, Ohio (July 9, 2019) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) announced tee times for the first two rounds of the 72nd U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, Monday (July 15) and Tuesday (July 16), at 7,339-yard, par-71 Inverness Club.

Victoria, BC's Jeevan Sihota is one of 8 Canadians in the field for the event.

First Round Leader At The B.C. Amateur Championship At Big Sky In Pemberton, Jackson Rothwell, Grimaces As His Eagle Putt Just Misses On The 18th. The Putt Would Have Given Him A 64 On The Day - Images Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

PEMBERTON -- The tournament round of Jackson Rothwell’s young golfing life has given him the first-round lead at the 117th B.C. Amateur Championship. On a hot, muggy day, the 18-year-old Victoria native scorched Big Sky Golf Club with a seven-under 65. "That’s my best tournament score -- so far,” Rothwell said with a smile after his round. “We’ll see if we can go lower tomorrow.”

Rothwell, who finished third at last week’s B.C. Junior Boys Championship at Fairwinds Golf Club in Nanoose Bay, had eight birdies and just one bogey in his round. He has a two-shot lead on Isaac Lee of Pitt Meadows.

Richmond's Alisha Lau, A Former B.C. Junior Girls Champion, Leads The B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship By Three Shots After The First Round - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Alisha Lau did not quite know what to expect at the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship, her first significant golf tournament in more than a year. Needless to say she was delighted how things turned out on day one. Lau fired a two-under 70 Tuesday at Nanaimo Golf Club and carries a three-shot lead into Wednesday’s second round.

The 19-year-old Lau has been on the sidelines with a right wrist injury since last summer and eventually had surgery last fall. She sat out her sophomore year at the University of Colorado as a medical redshirt. After a long recovery, which required lots of patience, Lau is happy to be back playing the game she loves.

“This is my first big tournament in over a year so I didn’t really have any expectations,” she said after Tuesday’s round. “I am pretty happy with today’s round, for sure.”

BC's Adam Hadwin Finished 4th On The PGA TOUR This Weekend After Briefly Holding The Clubhouse Lead On The Final Day - File Photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin led the way with a solo fourth-place finish and fellow British Columbians Roger Sloan of Merritt and Adam Svensson of Surrey both tied for 15th at the PGA TOUR’s inaugural 3M Open in Minnesota.

Hadwin had a share of the lead early on the back nine and went on to register his fifth top 10 of the year. He finished the event at 18-under par, three shots behind winner Matthew Wolff of Simi Valley, Calif. Hadwin jumped 12 spots on the FedEx Cup points list to 37th. Hadwin has now registered eight top-five finishes in his PGA TOUR career.

Brycen Ko Made It A Clean Sweep Of BC Junior Titles For The Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club With His Win In The Junior Boys Championship - Images Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

NANOOSE BAY -- Brycen Ko couldn’t have had a worse start or a better finish. The 15-year-old from Richmond began Friday’s final round of the B.C. Junior Boys Championship at Fairwinds Golf Club with a four-shot lead. 

Ko hadn’t made anything worse than a bogey in his first 54 holes and started his final round with a double-bogey. He added a bogey on the third hole and suddenly his four-shot lead was down to a single shot.

But just when it looked like his young nerves might get the best of him, Ko gathered himself and won the championship in fine style when he chipped in for birdie on the 18th hole.

Angela Zhang Is Your 2019 British Columbia Golf Junior Girls Champion - Images Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

NANOOSE BAY -- When her putter finally came to life, Angela Zhang had an inkling she was about to fulfill one of her big golfing goals. The B.C. Junior Girls Championship was high on Zhang’s to-do list this summer and she won it in impressive fashion Friday at Fairwinds Golf Club.

The 17-year-old Zhang, who plays out of Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, rolled in big birdie putts on the 11th and 14th holes to take control of the tournament. “What happened pretty much all week was that I was fighting with the yips,” Zhang said after her round.

“I could putt everything from 30, 40, or 50 feet within a yard or two, but once it got to within six feet I just yipped everything. So for me drain that five-foot downhill slider meant a lot. That really gave me the confidence to get it going.”

Angela Zhang Of Vancouver Caught Second Round Leader Cindy Koira Of Victoria And The Two Are Now Tied Going Into Friday's Final Round At The BC Jr. Girls Championship - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf 

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

NANOOSE BAY -- It’s not often a player can make up ground on the field without a single birdie, but Vancouver’s Angela Zhang did just that in Thursday’s third round of the B.C. Junior Girls Championship.

Zhang, who began the day seven shots out of the lead, played a steady round that included 16 pars and two bogeys at Fairwinds Golf Club. At the end of the day, she had a share of the lead. “It was steady,” Zhang said of her two-over 73.

“I hit super solid iron shots, but all of my putts edged the hole. I was hitting good putts and hitting great irons, but none of them dropped. Unfortunately, it was just one of those days. But you know what, par on this course is good. You’ll take it any day.”

Richmond's Brycen Ko Will Try To Hold Onto A 4-Shot Lead In Friday's Final Round At The BC Junior Boys Championship - Images Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

NANOOSE BAY -- The B.C. Junior Boys Championship at Fairwinds Golf Club has been all about avoiding the big number. Brycen Ko has done that as well as anyone and that’s one of the main reasons why the 15-year-old Richmond resident carries a four-shot lead into Friday’s final round.

Ko has made his share of bogeys on Fairwinds’ tight layout, where trouble seemingly lurks everywhere. But he has avoided those dreaded others that have destroyed so many rounds of his fellow competitors this week.

Richmond's Brycen Ko Holds The Halfway Lead In The 2019 B.C. Junior Boys Championship At Fairwinds GC In Nanoose Bay - Images Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

NANOOSE BAY -- Fairwinds Golf Club continues to be a riddle many of the best junior golfers in British Columbia are having difficulty solving, but Brycen Ko seemed to figure it out Wednesday.

Ko shot a tournament-low three-under par 68 to grab the halfway lead at the B.C. Junior Boys Championship. The 15-year-old from Richmond stands at one-under par through 36 holes and has a one-shot lead on Fort Langley’s Jackson Jacob. 

“After my round yesterday, I came into today just thinking put yourself in a good spot,” Ko said. “And I think I accomplished that. I just think I have to be patient. My main focus was just to hit fairways and greens. It is that kind of golf course where positioning is important.”

British Columbia Golf members and staff would like to offer sincere condolences to the family and friends of Chuck Gage, a long time contributor to the game of golf and a Past President of the BC Golf Association. Chuck's family will be organizing a celebration of life, and further information will be made available once details are confirmed.

As a founding member of Big Sky Golf Course, Chuck was thoughtfully remembered in this announcement put out by club General Manager, Michael MacNeil.

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce the peaceful passing of Chuck Gage on Sunday June 30th. Sunday Chuck and his grandson Matthew went out for one last game of golf before Chuck went to sleep for the last time. Chuck has been a long time Whistler resident and a founding member at Big Sky Golf Course. Chuck has had a major impact on golf in Canada, the Pacific Northwest and especially in his home province of British Columbia.

His dedication to the game of golf started at a young age when he was a member of Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club and was inspired by Head Professional Jack McLaughlin. Since then Chuck spent countless hours with BC Golf, PNGA, PCGA and is also a past President of The BC Golf Association, PNGA (Pacific Northwest Golf association) and Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club.We will miss Chuck's bright smile and his passion for the game that we all love.

It has been a privilege to golf, joke, laugh, tell stories and just spend time getting to know Chuck over the years. On behalf of the staff here at Big Sky, past and present, we extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends, he will be sorely missed."

Courtesy Colin Weston/ModGolf

In Larry Gilhuly’s opinion, the three biggest issues facing the game of golf are pace of play, player enjoyment and economic sustainability. Larry believes he has the solution for all three: “The answer for all of these, in my opinion, are properly placed forward tees.”

This week host Colin Weston speaks with Larry Gilhuly, who is an Agronomist with The United States Golf Association and a passionate advocate of the TEE IT FORWARD program.

By Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

Take a Kid to the Course Week is a National Golf Course Owners Association Canada initiative that is successful in large part due to the strong support it receives from members of the PGA of Canada.

“The NGCOA and the PGA of Canada and their chapters work closely together, not just on this project, but anything golf-related,” says Donald Miyazaki, executive director of the PGA of British Columbia. “The owners at the end of the day employ our members, so that relationship is very key for us.”

By Brad Ziemer/British Columbia Golf

It is a grow-the-game initiative that just keeps growing.

The 17th annual Take a Kid to the Course Week runs July 2-9 and once again the list of participating courses is growing and so is the number of kids taking advantage of the free golf offer.

The promotion, which allows a child under the age of 16 a free round of golf with an adult who pays a green fee, is sponsored by the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada.

“It is absolutely one of our most important grow-the-game initiatives,” says Erica Beck, regional director of NGCOA Canada’s British Columbia and Alberta chapters.

“We have been doing it for 17 years and every year it just keeps growing and growing. And there has been a huge uptick in sponsorship for the program the last few years, so it is something we are definitely hoping to keep going for many years to come.”

Victoria’s Cindy Koira Is Your Halfway Leader In The 2019 B.C. Junior Girls Championship At Fairwinds GC In Nanoose Bay - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer/British Columbia Golf

NANOOSE BAY -- Halfway through just her second B.C. Junior Girls Championship, Surrey’s Angela Arora likes her position. The 14-year-old Surrey resident, who just finished Grade 9, shot her second straight four-over 75 at Fairwinds Golf Club and is alone in second place. She trails leader Cindy Koira of Victoria by three shots.

“I feel like I am in a perfect position,” Arora said after Wednesday’s round. “I am feeling confident. There is a lot of golf left and I feel pretty good about my game.”

Jackson Jacob Of Fort Langley Is The First Round Leader In The BC Junior Boys Championship At Fairwinds GC In Nanoose Bay - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

NANOOSE BAY -- Don’t judge a book by its cover and, as competitors at the B.C. Junior Boys Championship are learning, don’t judge a golf course by its scorecard. Fairwinds Golf Club, all 6,200 yards of it, proved to be a stiff challenge for the boys in Tuesday’s opening round of the event.

When the day was done, only one player -- Jackson Jacob of Fort Langley -- was under par.  Fairwinds’ deceptively challenging layout inflicted many casualties among the 114 boys who teed it up. There were lots of 8s and 9s and even some 10s, 11s and at least one 12 recorded.