Calgary Golfer Patrick Murphy Dedicated His Record Round (See Scorecard Inset) To Injured Humboldt Broncos Player Ryan Straschnitzki - Image Credit Brad Ziemer

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KAMLOOPS -- His score matched the number on the front of his golf cap and Patrick Murphy says that is what made his record-setting round Tuesday at Rivershore Golf Links extra special.
Like so many Canadians, Murphy was deeply touched by the tragedy that befell the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team earlier this year.

Ryan Straschnitzki wore jersey No. 10 for the Broncos and the Airdrie, Alta., native was severely injured in the crash. Murphy, who hails from Calgary, and a bunch of his friends are wearing the “Straz strong” hats with No. 10 on the front in honour of Straschnitzki.

On Tuesday, Murphy shot a 10-under par 62 in the first round of the 116th playing of the B.C. Amateur Championship. Murphy pointed to the No. 10 on his hat after the round that gave him a five-shot lead. It was almost like it was just meant to be.

Delta's Mary Parsons, Your First Round Leader In The B.C. Women's Amateur Presented By Maui Jim, Credits Her First Year At The University Of Indiana With Helping Her Become A Better Player - Image CourtesyUniversity Of Indiana  Athletics

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Mary Parsons just finished her freshman year at the University of Indiana and thinks she returned home a better player. The 19-year-old Delta native put her improved game on display in Tuesday’s first round of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Presented By Maui Jim Championship at Golden Golf Club, where she fired a two-under par 70 to open up an early four-shot lead.

“I really enjoyed my time down there,” Parson said of her first year as a Hoosier. “I played in pretty much all the events except for one. I think it has helped me learn to better manage myself on the course. It was a great experience to play events with so many competitive players.

The World Scientific Congress Of Golf Will Is On Now In Abbotsford At The University Of The Fraser Valley This - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

By John Gordon/Golf Canada

If you’re writing off the World Scientific Congress of Golf (WSCG) as a biennial conclave of pointy-headed boffins, don’t be too hasty. While the “trickle-down theory” may be controversial in economics, it is incontrovertible when it comes to the impact of high-level research on all aspects of the sport as we now know it.

“Much of what we do as golfers, from how we swing to the equipment we use to the training and practice habits we employ and so on, has been born from great research,” says Glenn Cundari.

BC's 2018 Boys Junior Americas Cup Squad Clockwise From Top Left: Michael Crisologo, Andy Kim, Dylan Bercan And Joel Veenstra - Images Courtesy Golf Canada (Chuck Russell), MJT & BC Golf (Jurgen Kaminski)

The Fairmont Hot Springs Resort Golf Course in Anaconda, Montana is set to host the 46th Annual Junior America’s Cup from July 22-26, 2018. The Junior America’s Cup features 18-teams of four boys representing the State, Province, or Country.

Each round will count the top-3 scores from its team members. This year’s field once again features several top-ranked junior golfers from around the world. Live scoring can be followed daily.

Surrey, BC's Susan Xiao Was The 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Champion - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

With over 60 years of history and top calibre talent the Canadian Junior Girls Championship is coming to Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, British Columbia from July 30th - August 3rd!

Come volunteer and watch some of the best junior players compete for the junior girls national title. The winner will earn an exemption into the 2019 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship!

For more information on the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, please click here.

The success of this national championship relies on dedicated volunteers looking to get involved in their community by supporting Canadian junior golf!

The Men Will Be Vying For The Bostock Trophy (L) At Rivershore Golf Links While The Women Play For The Flumerfelt Trophy (R) At Golden GC This Week

The British Columbia Golf Championship season presents its two premier events this week as the 116th BC Amateur takes place at the Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloopswhile the BC Women's Amateur Presented By Maui Jim is being held concurrently at the Golden Golf Club in Golden with both tournaments teeing off on Tuesday, July 10th and finishing up on Friday the 13th.

Team British Columbia In This Year's 50th Anniversary Edition Of The Eddie Hogan Cup Consists Of From L-R: Zach Ryujin, Cole Wilson, Michael Crisologo And Sean Buckles - Images Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/British Columbia Golf & Chuck Russell (Golf Canada)

The 50th annual Eddie Hogan Cup tournament is scheduled to take place August 11th – 12th at the Riverside Golf & Country Club in Portland, Oregon and British Columbia has been represented every single year since its inception in 1969.

BC has won the Eddie Hogan Cup title twice since 1972, with the first coming in 2009 and then again 4 years later in 2013 where team member Kevin Vigna also won the individual title.

The Eddie Hogan Cup is filled with excellent competition from across the USA including Southern and Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Idaho, Hawaii and others as well as British Columbia.

It is restricted to boys 18 years of age or younger as of the final date of competition. However, a player may NOT have started college.

Richmond's Chris Crisologo Will Be One To Watch This Week At The B.C. Amateur Championship At Rivershore Golf Links In Kamloops - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

A new champion will be crowned at this week’s 116th playing of the B.C. Amateur Championship at Rivershore Golf Linksin Kamloops. A strong field has been assembled for British Columbia’s premier amateur golf event, but it does not include 2017 champion Jake DuVallof Victoria, who turned pro earlier this year.

Favourites at Rivershore include recently graduated Simon Fraser University standout Chris Crisologo of Richmond, two-time Canadian Mid-Amateur champion Kevin Carrigan of Victoria, current B.C. Mid-Amateur champion Jay Snyder of Vancouver and recently reinstated amateur Dan Swanson of Abbotsford.

Thirteen-time champion Doug Roxburgh of Vancouver will play in his 52nd straight B.C. Amateur championship. Roxburgh, the current B.C. Senior Men’s champion, recently won the annual Overlander tournament at Rivershore.

West Vancouver's Phoebe Yue Is Your 2018 B.C. Junior Girls Presented By Maui Jim Champion - Image Credit British Columbia Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Phoebe Yue just wouldn’t give up and that belief in herself paid off Friday when she came back and won the B.C. Junior Girls Presented By Maui Jim Championship.

After a rocky start to her final round -- Yue was two-over after three holes -- the 18-year-old from West Vancouver was five shots behind leader Leah John. But Yue persevered and kept chipping away at John’s lead before finally prevailing on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff at Kimberley Golf Club.

The 2018 B.C. Junior Boys Champion, Vancouver's Ilirian Zalli, Holds The Trophy Won By His Brother Just Last Year - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KAMLOOPS -- It’s quite simple, really. Ilirian Zalli believed he was the best player in the field at the B.C. Junior Boys Championship, so naturally felt like he should win it. And the 16-year-old did just that, in very impressive fashion.

Down four strokes to fellow Vancouver resident Song Bai heading into Friday’s final round at Kamloops Golf & Country Club, Zalli matched the course record with an eight-under 64 and won by four shots.

Leah John Survived A Late Stumble And Takes A Two-Shot Lead Into The Final Round Of The B.C. Junior Girls Presented By Maui Jim Championship At Kimberley GC - BC Golf File Photo

By Brad Ziemer. British Columbia Golf

Leah John seems to be winning her game of 'catch-me-if-you-can' with the rest of the field at the B.C. Junior Girls Presented by Maui Jim Championship.

She hopes she can hang on for one more day. No one has been able to reel in John, the 18-year-old Vancouver resident who has been leading the event since she opened with a four-under 68 in Tuesday’s first round.

John fired a four-over 76 in Thursday’s third round and will carry a two-shot lead into Friday’s final round at Kimberley Golf Club as she tries to go wire-to-wire for what would be the biggest win of her junior golfing career.

Song Bai Jumped Out To A Four-Shot Lead Following A 3rd Round 66 At The B.C. Junior Boys Championship At Kamloops G&CC - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KAMLOOPS -- Song Bai played in last year’s B.C. Junior Boys Championship at Squamish Valley Golf Club and missed the cut after shooting rounds of 82 and 83. This year? Well, that’s been quite a different story. A rather remarkable one.

Bai, a 16-year-old who plays out of Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver, shot a six-under par 66 Thursday and carries a four-shot lead into Friday’s final round of this year’s B.C. Junior Boys Championship at Kamloops Golf & Country Club. He is 12-under par through 54 holes.

General Manager & Executive Professional Brice MacDermott (Inset) Is Hoping To Expose The Hidden Gem That His Facility, The Kamloops Golf & Country Club, Represents - Images Credit Brad Ziemer (BC Golf)/ Kamloops G&CC

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KAMLOOPS -- Like a lot of other golfers, Brice MacDermott didn’t know a whole lot about Kamloops Golf & Country Club before he accepted the job of running the facility that was founded way back in 1914.

“I had actually never played the course when I took the job here in 2015,” MacDermott, the General Manager and Executive Professional at Kamloops G&CC, said in an interview. “I told a few of my friends who had played here, if it’s not good you are in big trouble.”

McDermott, who came to Kamloops after spending 15 years at Kelowna-area facilities, quickly discovered that the course is very good indeed. The fact is Kamloops G&CC, the site of this week’s B.C. Junior Boys Championship, is one of this province’s many hidden gems.

A Very Confident Ilirian Zalli Goes Into Round Three Of The B.C. Junior Boys Championship Tied For The Lead With Khan Lee - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/British Columbia Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KAMLOOPS -- Ilirian Zalli is tied for the lead halfway through the B.C. Junior Boys Championship, but that wasn’t much consolation after letting what he felt could have been a great round slip away.

Zalli played his first nine holes in four-under par before stumbling slightly on the back nine en route to a three-under 69 that left him at seven-under par through 36 holes. He is tied with Langley’s Khan Lee, who shot the day’s best score, a five-under 67.

Leah John Continues To Lead The B.C. Junior Girls Presented By Maui Jim Championship At Kimberley GC After Two Rounds - Image Credit Lance Kraus Photography

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Leah John finally made some bogeys Wednesday, but a funny thing happened. Her lead doubled at the B.C. Junior Girls Presented By Maui Jim Championship at Kimberley Golf Club.

John, who opened the tournament with a bogey-free, four-under par 68, shot a two-over 74 in the second round and now leads by four shots with a 36-hole total of 142 or two-under par.

Former Oregon State Beaver Jonnie Motomochi Has Found An Important And Fulfilling Role Helping Promising Young Players Get Scholarship Opportunities - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/British Columbia Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KAMLOOPS -- It’s safe to say the majority of the 120 players who teed it up at this week’s B.C. Junior Boys Championship are hoping their prowess on the links might earn them a golf scholarship.

Jonnie Motomochi, who not so long ago was one of them, would like to help make that happen. The 27-year-old Motomochi has started a college golf consulting business aimed at helping parents and their sons and daughters navigate the college golf scholarship waters.

A Pair Of Eagles Carried Richmond's Michael Crisologo To The First Round Lead At The BC Junior Boys Championship In Kamloops - Image Credit Brad Ziemer/BC Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KAMLOOPS -- Michael Crisologo was having a decent round of golf Tuesday as he came to the 11th hole at Kamloops Golf & Country Club.

Then the eagle landed. And that was followed by another one. Just like that, his round became a very good one that put him in the lead at the B.C. Junior Boys Championship.
“Back to back eagles,” the 17-year-old said with a big smile after his round.

Leah John Is Your First Round Leader In The 2018 BC Junior Girls Presented By Maui Jim Championship At Kimberley Golf Club - Image Credit Bryan Outram/British Columbia Golf

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Leah John doesn’t quite know what she is going to do for an encore in Wednesday’s second round of the B.C. Junior Girls Presented By Maui Jim Championship at Kimberley Golf Club.

All John did in Tuesday’s first round was fire a bogey-free, course-record four-under par 68 to grab a two-shot lead. “That was my first bogey-free round and also the best score I have ever had,” the 18-year-old Vancouver resident said after the round.

The 2017 BC Junior Boys Champion Christian Zalli Kisses The Trophy After His Win At Squamish Golf & Country Club. He Won't Be Back To Defend But His Younger Brother Ilirian Is There - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski (JKam Photos)/British Columbia Golf

As the championship season really gets into high gear here in British Columbia, this week we have both the BC Junior Girls Presented By Maui Jim Championship taking place at Kimberley Golf Club in Kimberley and the BC Junior Boys Championship at the Kamloops Golf Club in Kamloops.

Jackson The Golden Retriever Takes A Break In The Golf Cart During Redwoods GC's Dog Days of Summer Event - Image Courtesy Redwoods Golf Course

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Christian Zalli is not age-eligible to defend his B.C. Junior Boys Championship this week. But his little brother, Ilirian, will be at Kamloops Golf & Country Club and has to be considered one of the favourites in the field.

Ilirian tied for second at last year’s B.C. Junior at Squamish Valley Golf & Country Club, finishing two shots behind his big brother. Ilirian, the 2016 B.C. Bantam Boys champion from Vancouver, tore up the Zone 4 Junior Tour this spring. He won the Zone 4 Junior Championship by six shots and ran away with the Order of Merit title.