Quebec's Jean-Philippe Parr Hangs On To Win 2021 Canadian Junior Boys By One Over BC's Cooper Humphreys
2021 Canadian Junior Boys Champion Jean-Philippe Parr (BERNARD BRAULT/GOLF CANADA)
Courtesy Golf Canada
SAINTE-JULIE, Qué. – Jean-Philippe Parr of St. Celestin, Que., shot a final-round 2-over-74 en route to winning the Canadian Junior Boys Championship title by one stroke on Thursday at Vallée du Richelieu – Le Club in Sainte-Julie, Que.
“It feels great,” said Parr, who held the opening-round lead after shooting a 7-under-65, the low score for the championship. “It’s for sure a tournament I always wanted to win, and it feels great to get it done.”
The 17-year-old Team Canada National Junior Squad member jumped into the lead by one stroke after Wednesday’s third round following a bogey-free 66 that included an eagle on the second hole.
The final pairing saw Parr chased by duo Cooper Humphreys (Vernon, B.C.) and fellow Junior Squad member Owen Mullen (Shortts Lake, N.S.), both who started the day one back. It came down to the wire with Mullen’s par attempt falling just short on the final hole—avoiding the need for a playoff.
Parr said the key to his final-round success was staying patient and bouncing back from bad shots. “I really tried to stay patient and make sure I didn’t get too down on myself,” said Parr. “It’s important after a bad shot to move on and focus on what’s next.”
Humphreys, 16, won the Juvenile Boys division (ages 16 and under) by a convincing 13-strokes—the largest margin of victory since 2011 (BC's Kevin Kwon).
“I just wanted to shoot as low as I could, stay patient, hit the middle of the greens, make some putts and try my best,” said Humphreys, who plays out of Harvest Golf Club in Kelowna, B.C.
image credit Duncan O'Brien/Fairwayvision.com
Kelowna's Cooper Humphreys
With the victory, Parr receives exemptions into both the 2022 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver (Aug. 1-4) and the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Oregon (July 25-30).
Parr adds his name to a list of notable previous Canadian Junior Boys Champions including PGA TOUR player Nick Taylor (2006) and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member George Knudson (1955).
Parr’s resume includes victories at the Quebec Junior and Juvenile Boys Championship in 2020 and both the AJGA Junior at Southpointe and the Future Links Fall Series East in 2019.
Ben MacLean of Niagara Falls, Ont., and Jeevan Sihota of Victoria, B.C., rounded out the top five in a tie for fourth place at 1-under.
The 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will be held at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, B.C.
Click here for full results.