Leah John top-10s on Epson Tour and also gets CPKC exemption; New B.C. Senior Men’s champion to be crowned in Revelstoke: Marine Drive plays host to Canadian Junior Girls Championship

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf (July 22, 2024)

Mary Parsons’ first professional win came with a bonus she really wasn’t expecting. Along with the $10,000 first-place cheque for winning the Kathy Whitworth Championship in Trophy Club, Tex., on the Annika All Women’s Pro Tour, Parsons knew she was also getting a spot in an Epson Tour event in late August.

But the Delta native is also receiving something much bigger than that. Parsons was informed after her win that she has a spot in this week’s LPGA Tour event, the CPKC Women’s Open in Calgary. “I am very thrilled,” Parsons said over the phone. “It will be my second LPGA start. I played back in 2019 as an amateur. It will be exciting to play an LPGA event as a pro now. I will try to keep it rolling and see what I can do.”

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

After they collected their gold medals at the B.C. Summer Games golf competition, the winners really weren’t looking to celebrate. They just wanted to catch up on their sleep.

The 44 juniors who played in the 36-hole competition at Meadow Gardens Golf Course spent two nights in their own ‘athletes village.’ Their digs were the hard classroom floors of local schools. And teenagers being teenagers, not much sleep was had. “Definitely not,” laughed Langley’s Ryan Leprieur, who won the boys’ individual title.

“Sleeping on the floor of a school classroom isn’t ideal to say the least. They gave us a little foam pad and a blanket. That’s about it.”

Edward Bellrose Takes Mid-Master Title In Golden, B.C.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

GOLDEN, B.C. (July 18, 2024) - He is only 25, so there could be many more highlights to come, but chances are Wyatt Brook will always remember July 2024 as some of the best days of his golfing life.

“Considering I had one top 10 in a British Columbia Golf event before in my life, this has been a pretty special two weeks,” Brook said after winning the B.C. Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Golden Golf Club.

That win followed Brook’s third-place finish last week at the B.C. Amateur Championship at Ledgeview Golf Club in Abbotsford.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

GOLDEN, B.C. (July 17, 2024) - Wyatt Brook is what you would call a Mid-Amateur rookie and he’s making quite the splash at his debut event.

The 25-year-old Heffley Creek resident fired a four-under 68 in the second round and has a six-shot lead heading into Thursday’s final round of the B.C. Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Golden Golf Club.

GOLDEN, B.C. (July 16, 2024) - Golden Golf Club proved to be a stern test in the first round of the B.C. Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and that came as no surprise to director of operationsGraeme Kreiner.

“It’s playing tough now with our greens,” Kreiner said. “They are not Augusta-fast, but there is so much slope and we do have a nice speed on them now. You certainly have to pay attention when you have the putter in your hands.”

The same could be said about your driver. Golden is a tree-lined layout and narrow in spots. Stray too far off the fairway and you’re in trouble.

Yeji Kwon gets first pro win; Nathan Ward seeks to defend title at B.C. Mid-Amateur Championship; Hadwin, Taylor head to Open Championship

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

DELTA, B.C. (July 15, 2024) - Shelly Stouffer saved her birdies for when she really needed them in the final round of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

The Nanoose Bay resident began the final round with a three-shot lead — thanks in no small part to a four-under 68 in the second round — but that cushion had evaporated by the time she and American Catherine Matgranga had reached the 16th tee at Crown Isle Golf Resort in Courtenay.

Matgranga, a Fort Worth, Tex., resident had birdied the 14th and 15th holes to pull even. Stouffer hadn’t made a birdie all day. The momentum seemed to be on the Texan’s side.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

ABBOTSFORD (July 12, 2024) - There is a certain symmetry to Cooper Humphreys becoming the first player to successfully defend his B.C. Amateur Championship in nearly 20 years and doing it at Ledgeview Golf Course.

The renowned Abbotsford layout has produced an impressive list of fine players, including the likes of Nick Taylor, Adam Hadwin, Ray Stewart and James Lepp. It was Lepp who last repeated as B.C. Amateur champion when he won his last of four straight B.C. Ams in 2005.

Humphreys most definitely has some Lepp in him. Like Lepp in his heyday, the 19-year-old Vernon resident can make the game look easy.

Photographer Bryan Outram was out on the course and here are his top shots from the final round...

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

ABBOTSFORD (July 11, 2024) - Cooper Humphreys and James Fahy each have a chance to accomplish something at the B.C. Amateur Championship that hasn’t been done in a while.

Humphreys, the 2023 champion from Vernon, has an opportunity to become the first player to successfully defend his title since James Lepp won four in a row beginning in 2002. Fahy, a Vancouver resident, will be looking to become the first player older than 30 to win a B.C. Amateur since Victoria’s Bryan Toth captured the 2006 championship.

Fahy, like Toth was in 2006, is 32 years old.

B.C. Amateur Halfway Leader James Fahy

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

ABBOTSFORD (July 10, 2024) — James Fahy has apparently decided the road to follow at the B.C. Amateur Championship is Route 66. The 32-year-old Marine Drive Golf Club member fired his second straight four-under 66 at Ledgeview Golf Course to grab the halfway lead at the 122nd playing of the B.C. Amateur. He is more than a little surprised to be leading.

“We’ll see what happens,” Fahy said. “I am kind of waiting for things to get a little loosey-goosey. Golfing at 32 is very different than 22.”

BC Golf's Greg Moody, the tournament rules chair for this year's B.C. Amateur, talks about setting up the 17th hole at Ledgeview in the second round for maximum birdie opportunities...

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

ABBOTSFORD (July 10, 2024) —The butterflies were replaced by birdies for Matthew Hallat in the second round of the B.C. Amateur Championship. Hallat won the inaugural B.C. All Abilities Championship last summer and was given an exemption into this week’s 122nd playing of the B.C. Amateur at Ledgeview Golf Course in Abbotsford.

The North Vancouver resident was excited about the opportunity and also very nervous. “I did feel a responsibility to some degree being the first exemption from the (All Abilities) tournament,” Hallat said.

ABBOTSFORD (July 9, 2024) — They are college teammates and good friends, but Mackenzie Bickell and Hudson LaFayette are always trying to beat one another. Nothing has changed now that school is out for the summer.

Humphreys in good form as he readies for B.C. Amateur title defence; Barker wins Ogopogo in record-setting fashion; Stinson prevails at Chilliwack Open

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

Victoria’s Jeevan Sihota recorded the biggest win of his young pro career at the Mickelson National Invitational in Calgary.

The 20-year-old earned a $30,000 payday after finishing the 54-hole event at 12-under par, one shot better than runner-up Brady McKinlay of Lacombe, Alta. “It’s been a while since I had my last win, so it feels good,” Sihota said in a telephone interview.

Sihota was tied for the lead heading into the final round and after bogeying his first hole, he played flawlessly the rest of the way. He closed with a six-under 66.

Find direct links to everything champsionship here...

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KELOWNA (July 05, 2024) — Along with her 14 clubs, Amy Lee has four letters that accompany her nearly every time she tees it up. WAAC is a South Korean golf apparel brand and that acronym stands for Win At All Costs.

It has become something of a golfing mantra for the 16-year-old Langley resident, who seems to be winning every time she plays. Lee didn’t just successfully defend her B.C. Junior Girls Championship, she lapped her competition at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf & Country Club. Lee won by 18 shots. That’s right, 18 shots.

By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

KELOWNA, B.C. (July 5, 2024) - Austin Krahn won the B.C. Junior Boys Championship and for that he can thank his putter.

The 16-year-old Christina Lake resident made one clutch putt after another in the final round at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf & Country Club and emerged with a hard-fought two-stroke victory over Ryan Vest of Vernon.

“The putter was really good today,” Krahn said. “I can’t think of one putt that I hit poorly today. It was just perfect all day long.”