Five From BC To Represent Canada In 2022 World Junior Girls Championship
BC Junior Girls Representing Canada In The World Junior Girls Championship Clockwise From Left: Yeji Kwon, Michelle Liu, Angela Arora, Anna Huang & Lauren Kim - Images Courtesy Golf Canada
MARKHAM, Ont. – Canada is set to host a global showcase of the world’s best junior golfers as the seventh edition of the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms will be contested October 10-15, 2022 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.
In total, 54 athletes on 18 teams representing 17 countries—including two teams from host nation Canada—will compete for the team and individual titles. The event marks the celebrated return of the prestigious global competition after two years of cancellation due to the pandemic.
“Together with our partners at Golf Ontario and Sargent Farms, Golf Canada is extremely proud to celebrate the return of the World Junior Girls Championship,” said Mary Beth McKenna, Golf Canada Director, Amateur Championships and Rules.
“This championship has become a world-class showcase featuring some of the most promising young athletes from around the world. It is an honour to welcome these talented juniors—many whom we know will go on to great success in the professional game—back to Angus Glen and support these Canadian and international talents in their golf journey.”
“The World Junior Girls Championship has become a signature event on our championship calendar and there is a great excitement in welcoming this outstanding group of athletes from around the world to compete for an international title on Canadian soil,” said Golf Ontario CEO Mike Kelly. “Angus Glen has proven itself time and again to be a world-class host and a championship-worthy venue that will be ready to challenge the world’s best junior golfers.”
Canada’s lead coach will be Jennifer Ha of Calgary, Alta., who is currently the Assistant Coach of the Team Canada – NextGen Squad. The supporting coach will be PGA of Canada professional Emma de Groot, a native of New South Wales, Australia and resident of Hamilton, Ont. who is currently the director of women’s development with Modern Golf.
Canada 1 includes 18-year-old Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C., 17-year-old Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., and 15-year-old Michelle Liu of Vancouver, B.C. Arora, who finished T20 at the 2019 World Junior Girls Championship, made it to match play of the 2022 US Women’s Amateur, finished runner-up at both the Pacific Northwest Women’s Amateur and NextGen Selection Camp, and also won the NextGen Pacific Championship. Kim, who finished T52 at the 2019 World Junior Girls Championship, had a 2022 season highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Canada Summer Games, a third-place finish at the Canadian Women’s Amateur and a T33 individual result at the World Amateur Team Championship. Liu, who qualified for her second CP Women’s Open in 2022, made it to match play at the US Junior Girls Championship, finished 7th at the Texas Women’s Open (pro), and was the winner of Golf Canada’s recent NextGen Selection Camp.
The Canada 2 squad is represented by 16-year-old Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C., 14-year-old Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. and 13-year-old Anna Huang from Vancouver, B.C. Kwon earned a spot on the team by winning the 2022 Canadian Junior in a season that also included a ninth-place result at the Toyota Junior World Cup. Xing, who finished third at the NextGen Selection Camp, won the 2022 Ontario Junior Girls Match Play and finished runner-up at the Ontario Juvenile Girls Championship. Huang’s notable results include a T4 finish at the Canadian Junior, a T22 finish at the Canadian Amateur, a victory at the Toyota Tour Cup and a T3 finish a the NextGen Selection Camp.
This year’s field for the World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms is highlighted by 11 competitors ranked inside the World Golf Amateur Rankings (WAGR) top 100 including the tournament’s top-ranked player, Germany’s Helen Briem (no. 13). Spain is the lone country with all three players ranked inside the WAGR top-100 with Sweden next at two top-100 players. A full list of competitors including their WAGR position is here.
With two victories (2015 & 2019) in the event’s six-year history, Korea has won the most team competition titles followed by USA (2014), Philippines (2016), Spain (2017), and Italy (2018). A history of past winners is available here.
Canada’s best finish in the team competition was third in 2014 and fourth in 2018.
A number of players who have competed in the World Junior Girls Championship have gone on great success on the LPGA Tour, led by Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 12-time LPGA winner and world no. 6 who finished fourth in the individual competition at the inaugural championship hosted in 2014.
Other notable competitors who went on to become LPGA Tour winners include world no. 2 Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand who won back-to-back World Junior titles in 2018 and 2019 as well as world no. 35 Yuka Saso of Philippines who won the 2016 World Junior title. Other former World Junior competitors who have gone on to win on the LPGA Tour include Hannah Green of Australia and Maja Stark of Sweden.
In addition, 12 players who competed for the 2022 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club are alumni of the World Junior Girls Championship.
Angus Glen Golf Club, which will host the World Junior Girls Championship for the third time, is home to two 18-hole championship golf courses in Markham, Ontario. The North and South courses offer variety, beauty, and challenges. Angus Glen has been ranked as one of the top 80 golf courses in the world outside of the United States. It was home to the 2002 and 2007 Canadian Open and an official host of the 2015 Toronto Pan/Parapan American Games. The 2022 World Junior Championship will be contested on the South course.
Eligibility & Format
Competitors: Three (3) junior girls per country (including an additional Canadian team)
Delegation: 1 Coach or 1 Non-Playing Captain
Classification: This competition is open to female juniors (in accordance with Golf Canada’s transgender policy) who have not reached their 19th birthday by the last scheduled day of the championship – October 15, 2022 – who are members in good standing with their respective golf federation, and who are not playing on a university or college golf team.
Competition
Rules: Rules of play are those of Golf Canada
Team Competition – 72 hole Stroke Play
Individual Competition – 72 hole Stroke Play
The following is a list of competing countries in the seventh annual World Junior Girls Championship, presented by Sargent Farms:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada (2)
- Chinese Taipei
- Colombia
- Denmark
- England
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Ireland
- Italy
- Mexico
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Wales
Practice rounds for the 72-hole competition will take place October 10-11 with the first round of play set for Wednesday, October 12. The tournament’s closing ceremony will immediately follow the conclusion of play on Saturday, October 15.
Admission to the competition is free.