Jenny Kwon Finishes Magical Month Of August With Win At B.C. Bantam Girls Championship

Vancouver's Jenny Kwon Added The BC Bantam Title To The Juvenile Girls Trophy She Picked Up At Highland Pacific Last Week  - BC Golf photo

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

In case you were wondering, winning never gets old. Just ask Jenny Kwon.

The 14-year-old from Vancouver completed a magical month of August by winning the B.C. Bantam Girls Championship at Cedar Hill Golf Course in Victoria. It followed by six days her win at the B.C. Juvenile Girls Championship at Highland Pacific Golf Course in Victoria.

Kwon began her August by capturing the PNGA Junior Girls Amateur Championship at North Bellingham Golf Course in Washington state.

“I am kind of surprised,” Kwon said of her three big wins this month. “But I guess my confidence is what helped me. I feel like this month has been special.”

Kwon won the Bantam title for girls aged 14 and younger with a two-day total of even par. She shot two rounds of even-par 67 on the Cedar Hill layout to win by three shots. Her final round featured bookend birdies on the 1st and 18th holes. She also birdied the par 3 sixth hole, when she drained a 25-foot putt.

Elsa Wu of Maple Ridge was second at three-over and fired a tournament-low one-under 66 in the final round. Karrisa Yuehan Zhao of West Vancouver finished fourth at eight-over par.

Kwon, who plays out of Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, said she leaned on her short game at Cedar Hill, which as a par 67 played a little shorter than many of the courses she competes at. “At longer courses I felt like my long game was important,” she said. “At this one, it was my short game that definitely mattered the most. I putted well the last two days.”

But Kwon said it was her improved mental game that allowed her to break through and win three big events this month. “This month of August I will most remember the progress I made with my mental game,” said Kwon, who is heading into Grade 9 at John Oliver Secondary.

“It definitely has helped my game. Last year, I remember my mental game being a bit chaotic. I have gotten better at getting over bad shots. For example, if I make a bogey or a double, I just say to myself, it happened already, you can’t do anything about it. It’s better to think positive than obsess about one bad shot the whole day.”

A Novice Championship for players aged 12 and under was also held at Cedar Ridge. Jenny Guo of West Vancouver won that competition with a two-day score of 12-over par. That was four shots better than runners-up Ari Tur of West Vancouver and Kathleen Dunn of Surrey.

A two-player net better ball competition was won by the team of Cynthia Kexin Zhang of Vancouver and Malia Owen of Victoria with a score of 25-under par. The team of Angela and Jennifer Zou of Port Coquitlam was second at 17-under, while Andrew Hou and Luke Van Alstine, both of Vancouver, were third at 15-under.

Next year’s B.C. Bantam Championship will be held at Bowen Island Golf Club.

Click HERE for complete final scoring.