ALBANY, N.Y. – She’s done it as an amateur, but never as a professional. Breanna Elliott (Yarrawonga, Australia) drained a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to grab sole possession of the 36-hole lead at the Fuccillo Kia Championship at Capital Hills on Saturday. Elliott turned in a 5-under 66 to get to 11-under 131, one shot clear of rookie Augusta James (Bath, Ontario).

Saturday was another scoreable day as 44 players posted rounds in the 60’s.

Elliott, whose best finish this year is a tie for 24th last week in Rochester, will look to be the first Aussie to win on the Symetra Tour since Julia Boland won the 2012 Four Winds Invitational.

“Yes, a win would be huge, obviously it would be awesome to get a win under the belt,” said Elliott, who has been smiling from ear-to-ear the entire week. “Especially since I’m playing away from home, it would mean a lot to show people that I am taking my game to the next level.”

Elliott stepped on the 18th tee box in a share of the lead and landed her tee shot on the par-3 pin high and inches from the fringe.

“I wasn’t pulling the trigger today and I was leaving putts short so I gave that last putt a little extra,” said Elliott. “That was a nice way to finish and I think I needed that one.”

There is no doubt Elliott has elevated her game this week. She has 12 birdies against just one bogey through 36 holes. Her length off the tee has really helped. She is averaging 267 yards with the driver and has hit 33 of 36 greens in regulation.

“My whole season has kind of led up to the last couple of weeks,” said Elliott, who ranks 78th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. “I’ve been hitting the ball well all season and to finally be up there on the leaderboard is something I was hoping would happen. One good week can really turn your year around and last week was a good confidence booster for me.”

Elliott also got a boost of confidence two weeks ago when she played in the U.S. Women’s Open and played practice rounds with Karrie Webb, Michelle Wie and Stacey Lewis.

“From watching them play, I definitely saw that they were all aggressive,” noted Elliott of the top players in the world. “I feel like my game is there and I need to go for it instead of playing defensive golf like I have in the past. Players like Karrie that just go for the pins is really inspiring.”

The 23-year-old enjoyed a successful amateur career that included seven wins in 2012. Her best finish on the Symetra Tour is a tie for 12th at the 2014 Four Winds Invitational.

A win could move Elliott as high as 21st on the Volvik Race for the Card money list and put her in striking distance of the top 10 with eight events remaining.

The winner of the Fuccillo Kia Championship will also drive away in a 2015 Snow White Pearl Kia Optima LX courtesy of Fuccillo Kia of Schenectady.

JAMES AIMS FOR WIN NUMBER TWO: Augusta James is potentially one big finish away from locking up an LPGA Tour card. She has the chance to do that Sunday after carding a 4-under 67 to get to 10-under 132 at the Fuccillo Kia Championship at Capital Hills.

James, who started on the back nine, finished with back-to-back birdies on holes eight and nine to put an exclamation point on her day.

“It was definitely important to end with birdies because I wanted to finish strong and I felt like there was more in my round than what I was at after hole six which was just 2-under,” said James, who curled in a 20-footer to end the day. “It was a little bit outside regular range, but you have to hit a few of those to shoot low numbers.”

The 22-year-old has made just two bogeys through 36-holes and has hit 23 of 26 fairways. She has needed only 52 putts so far.

“I’m happy with the spot I put myself in for tomorrow,” said James, who was followed by a large group of friends and family again on Saturday. “I have really great hometown support and a great community that I live in. They are very special and for them to come down here means a lot.”

James won the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial earlier this season and could become the first player to win two official events this season. She currently ranks ninth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list, but is just $1,495 in front of number 11 on the money list (Casey Grice).

“Of course you look at the money list, but then you have to give your head a shake and stop,” said James. “As cheesy as this sounds, it really is about one shot at a time and one moment at a time. If you get ahead of yourself, it is really game over.”

Every player that has won at least twice in a single-season has earned their LPGA Tour card.

In her win earlier this season, James entered the final round one shot off the lead and carded a 5-under 67 to win by four shots. She’ll be one shot back on Sunday.

BROOKE HENDERSON ‘EXCITED FOR SUNDAY’: Brooke Henderson has played in four Symetra Tour events this year. She is a combined 16-under on Sunday in those four events. Last week, she carded a 6-under 66 in Rochester to finish in a tie for seventh. On Saturday, Henderson posted a 5-under 66 to give herself a chance at her second Symetra Tour win.

“I made a lot of putts, which is always nice,” said Henderson. “I’m now very comfortable around this golf course and I’m excited for tomorrow.”

Henderson has finished in the top 10 in all four Symetra Tour starts including a win at the Four Winds Invitational. She currently ranks 39th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.

Henderson was asked if she plans on being aggressive early to make up the deficit.

“Generally, I am an aggressive player from the get go so I’ll just stick to that plan,” said Henderson. “I’m going to try and push early to put a little pressure on the leaders.”

SUNNINGDALE, England – Colin Montgomerie shares the clubhouse lead with little-known American Marco Dawson on 10-under par, with nine holes of their third round still to play in the Senior British Open on Saturday.

Poor light suspended play, five hours after the delayed start to the round. The second round, suspended on Friday because of rain, wasn’t completed until Saturday mid-afternoon.

At that stage, Dawson led on 8 under, a shot clear of defending champion Bernhard Langer. Montgomerie was on 6 under alongside Fred Couples, Jeff Sluman, Miguel Angel Jimenez, and Peter Fowler.

The late start to the third round, and with 83 players making the cut, meant play began on the first and 10th tees at Sunningdale Old Course.

Montgomerie showed he meant business right from the start, birdieing the first three holes. Then he missed birdie chance after birdie chance before picking up his fourth at the ninth, when play was halted in the gathering gloom.

“I had a great start, and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow,” said the Scot, who wants to add his home senior major to the three he has won in America so far.

Dawson also birdied the first, then parred all the way to the ninth, where he also picked up a shot.

“This is just a survival test now,” Dawson said. “It was a long day, and it’s going to be long again tomorrow.”

The third member of the last group, Langer, also birdied the first, dropped a stroke at the fourth, and missed a birdie chance from two feet at the ninth to stay in a four-way for fifth on 7 under.

Couples, the champion at Turnberry in 2012, was at 8 under and in a share of third place with Ireland’s Philip Walton.

Walton raced to the turn in 30 with five birdies. He dropped a shot at the 10th but picked up his sixth and seventh birdies to reach 8 under par, having started at 2 under, with one hole to play.

Tom Watson was five off the pace at 5 under after carding 66. With him was Jeff Maggert, bidding for his third senior major of the year. Maggert still had three more holes to play.

More rain was forecast on Sunday.

BELMONT, Mich. – Lizette Salas thinks things are finally going her way and the results on the golf course are starting to match the work she has put in her game.

Without a top-10 finish this year, Salas shot a 7-under 64 on Saturday to take a four-stroke lead in the Meijer LPGA Classic, putting her in position for her second tour title.

“A lot has happened since I turned pro four years ago, and I have struggled this year but also kept working,” Salas said. “Finally, I’m playing the golf I’ve been working so hard to find. I’m really happy. Now I just want to focus on each shot and focus on keeping calm.”

The 26-year-old former University of Southern California player won the 2014 Kingsmill Championship and played on the 2013 U.S. Solheim Cup team.

She stayed calm in the third round, birdieing Nos. 14-16 and closing her bogey-free round with two pars. She had a 16-under 197 total at Blythefield Country Club.

“I think the putter really, really came in today,” she said. “I just kept it in the fairway and kept knocking them close. I don’t know what’s going on. Everything’s been going my way and I’ve been staying positive and just really focusing on my shots. I’m, really, really happy.”

Birdies on three of the first four holes and another at the par-4 ninth hole allowed Salas to pull in front of the field. After saving par with a 25-foot putt at 13, she hit a shot inside 2 feet at the par-3 14th for birdie and followed with a 6-footer at 15 and a 30-footer at 16.

Lexi Thompson and Michigan native Kris Tamulis were tied for second. Tamulis, whose family still summers in Northern Michigan, shot 67. Thompson had a 68.

Tamulis, a former Michigan Women’s Open winner and Symetra Tour graduate, said winning for the first time on the LPGA Tour in her home state would be a dream come true.

“I played all my junior golf here and my parents still live here in the summer, so it would be very special,” Tamulis said. “I can’t get ahead of myself though. I’ve had low expectations all week. I’ve played long enough to know there is a long way to go and great competition.”

Thompson, tied for the second-round lead with Salas and Alison Lee, missed a 4-foot putt and made bogey at 16, but birdied the par-4 18th with a 3-footer.

Thompson was disappointed with her putter most of the day.

“I missed a good amount of short putts,” she said. “But I’m going into tomorrow with a positive attitude. I’m going to go hit a few putts. The last stroke I made was really good, so I’m just going to go into tomorrow with a positive attitude.”

Lee had a 70 to drop into a tie for fourth at 6 under with Brittany Lincicome (65), Caroline Masson (65), So Yeon Ryu (65), Katie Burnett (66) and Gerina Piller (69).

Lee said little mistakes cost her, but that watching Salas go low inspired her.

“She was on a roll today,” Lee said. “It just shows it’s possible to shoot that low of a round, so I’ll take what I can from that and play well tomorrow.”

Top-ranked Inbee Park, a three-time winner this year, had five birdies in a six-hole stretch and finished with a 66 to move into a tie for 10th at 5 under. She said it was great to be near the lead in preparation for next week’s Women’s British Open.

“It’s a lot more fun, sure, but you want to be competing in contention and obviously want to try a few things under the pressure,” she said.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Long before David Hearn moved to the top of the RBC Canadian Open leaderboard, Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Adam Svensson took advantage of pristine early morning conditions during his third round.

With the first tee time Saturday morning because an odd number of players made the cut, Svensson played 18 holes by himself. The Surrey, B.C., native shot a 5-under 67 to make a major move up the leaderboard at 7 under for the tournament.

“It was a little bit weird the first couple of holes,” Svensson said. “But I kind of got used to it. Just had a good rhythm all day and got off to a pretty good start. So I was pretty happy.”

Svensson, who’s tied for 26th going into the final round, had never golfed solo before in a tournament setting and called it a fun day. He had to be an early riser, though, teeing off at 7 a.m.

“I’m pretty much sleeping,” Svensson said. “But it was fun. It was fast, too, which I like.”

Svensson completed the round in 2 hours 59 minutes, at least 90 minutes shorter than a conventional PGA Tour event round. He was off the course more than three hours before the final groups teed off.

At 7 under, Svensson will have a playing partner for the final round of the RBC Canadian Open: American Brian Harman, who was second after two rounds before struggling.

Beyond Hearn’s heroics, it was a strong day Canadian Adam Hadwin, who shot 5 under to get to 8 under and a tie for 20th.

“The biggest thing has been my short game, my putting all week,” said Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C. “I haven’t struck it extremely well or at least up to my standards just yet. But I’ve got it around the golf course, got it up-and-down when I needed to.”

Recent PGA Tour winner Nick Taylor, also from Abbotsford, moved to 3 under.

Amateurs Blair Hamilton and Austin Connelly shot 76 and 77 respectively. They made the cut but were designated “made didn’t finish” and won’t play Sunday. They will however share the Gary Coward Award as co-recipients of the Gary Cowan Award.

CRANS MONTANA, Switzerland – English golfers Matthew Fitzpatrick and Danny Willett will carry a two-shot lead into the final round of the European Masters.

Willett started the third round on Saturday with a one-shot lead, but had two bogeys and a double bogey in his first four holes. There were two more bogeys coming in, but a 30-foot eagle on the 15th limited the damage to a 1-over-par 71.

He was at 12 under for the tournament with Fitzpatrick, the former U.S. Amateur champion who came through Q School to enjoy his first year on the European Tour. Fitzpatrick climbed into contention with a 64.

Four-time tour winner Raphael Jacquelin of France was third at 10 under thanks to a 68, and defending champion David Lipsky of the U.S. was alone in fourth on 9 under after a 69, despite starting and finishing with bogeys.

Patrick Reed (69), Sergio Garcia (66), and Lee Westwood (68) trailed by seven shots in a big group tied for 16th.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – David Hearn looked back from the 16th hole and knew fellow Canadian Graham DeLaet had withdrawn because his name wasn’t on the board anymore.

There’s no looking back now. While DeLaet is out with a thumb injury, Hearn celebrated “Red and White Day” at the RBC Canadian Open by shooting an 8-under 64 Friday to move to within three shots of leader Chad Campbell.

By getting to 11-under through two rounds, Hearn is in contention at the midway point and has a chance to be the first Canadian to win this tournament since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

“Today was a pretty awesome day,” Hearn said, decked out in red and white like many of the fans at Glen Abbey Golf Club. “I couldn’t be happier with where my game’s at and I’m excited about the weekend. If I keep doing what I’m doing, I feel good about my game.”

The Brantford, Ont., native is tied for third place with only Campbell (14-under) and Brian Harman (12-under) ahead of him.

Even with 36 holes left to play, Hearn expects to be nervous Saturday with the home fans watching his every swing closely and a 51-year drought on their minds.

“It’s definitely going to be a lot of attention,” Hearn said. “Everyone wants the Canadians to do well here like I do. I want to see a Canadian do well and win this tournament soon.”

Hearn is in by far the best spot of the six Canadians left in the field. Two amateurs also moved up the leaderboard in the second round.

Austin Connelly, who represented Canada at the Pan Am Games, shot a 7-under 65 to get to 6-under for the tournament. The 18-year-old noticed a drastic improvement from his first round.

“The main difference was I was hitting better quality iron shots,” said Connelly, a Dallas native whose father is from Nova Scotia. “I gave myself a lot more looks, and then whenever I did make a mistake, my short game saved me. I had a couple of really nice pitches and bunker shots.”

Blair Hamilton, a 21-year-old amateur from nearby Burlington, Ont., is right behind Connelly at 5-under after shooting a 4-under Friday.

DeLaet didn’t feel like he had a chance to make the cut with a left thumb injury hampering his game. The Weyburn, Sask., native doesn’t think the injury is too serious but was bummed it forced him out of the RBC Canadian Open.

“It hurts,” DeLaet said. “It’s an important tournament to me.”

With Mike Weir out for personal reasons, the Canadian star power took another major hit with DeLaet’s withdrawal. The pressure’s now on Hearn to carry the flag.

Hearn is trying to focus on the fundamentals of hitting fairways and greens and not think too much about history and what’s at stake.

“I’m not going to be able to win the golf tournament until Sunday afternoon, so I’ve got a lot of golf to go,” Hearn said. “It’s really hard. I haven’t been in this situation in the RBC Canadian Open before. …

“I feel like my game is in a good spot right now, and I have a chance to do something fun this weekend.”

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Chad Campbell didn’t feel like he was approaching history during the second round of the Canadian Open.

Rolling off birdie after birdie, Campbell missed the course record at Glen Abbey Golf Club by one stroke in shooting a 9-under-par 63. The bogey-free masterpiece gave him the tournament lead at 14-under.

“Never really felt like it was going to be a crazy round, which nine birdies, I’m definitely happy with it,” Campbell said. “Just solid play.”

Campbell’s understated assessment of his round had a lot to do with how it unfolded. The 41-year-old American didn’t sink any remarkably memorable shots but was consistent and didn’t make many mistakes.

“It’s kind of weird because it happened with the par-5s, knocking them on (the green) in two and two-putting,” Campbell said. “I made a couple long putts, which always helps.”

With some groups still left on the course, Campbell held a two-shot lead over Brian Harman and a three-shot lead over Johnson Wagner and Canadian David Hearn.

Like Campbell, Hearn didn’t have to do anything spectacular but still surged up the leaderboard with an 8-under 64.

“I felt really good about my game,” the Brantford, Ont., native said. “I hit a lot more greens, and my putter definitely got hot. Making those two birdies at the finish felt really, really good.”

After coming a putt away from winning the Greenbrier Classic earlier this month, Hearn is back to feeling good about his game after Friday’s performance.

“If I continue to keep playing the way I am, I know I have a chance,” he said. “I can’t control what Chad or any of the other players are going to do. But if I keep doing what I’m doing and stay focused on that, I like my chances.”

Campbell’s second round notwithstanding, the RBC Canadian Open looks wide-open going into the weekend. Harman came a three-putt and a “silly bogey” away from being right with Campbell, and 10th-ranked Jason Day is lurking at 10-under.

Day is coming off tying for fourth at the British Open, which didn’t wrap up until Monday. Fighting physical and mental fatigue, the affable Aussie recorded an eagle on the 18th hole on the way to contention.

Frustrated by a couple of bogeys, Day doesn’t anticipate fatigue getting to derail his RBC Canadian Open.

“I’m driving it great,” Day said. “I’d like to tune-up the iron shots, but overall I’m hitting it good. ”Biggest thing for me is still trying to get as much rest as possible, especially coming off last week so that I can stay mentally sharp.“

Canadian Graham DeLaet was feeling mentally sharp but physically couldn’t keep golfing. The left thumb injury he suffered on Thursday didn’t get better, so DeLaet withdrew after four holes Friday.

“When it all came down to it, I felt if I could compete and still hit the ball well, I probably would have kept going,” DeLaet said. “But I didn’t have any kind of golf game out there today, and then it was hurting.”

Among Canadians still in the field, amateur Austin Connelly was one stroke away from matching Hearn’s mark, shooting a 7-under 65. Connelly, who represented Canada in the Pan Am Games, is at 6-under through two rounds.

Fellow amateur Blair Hamilton is 5-under, and Adam Svensson is 4-under.

Ricky Barnes hit a hole-in-one on No. 4, winning a new BMW i8 in the process.

“It was a perfect 8-iron,” said Barnes, who’s 6-under. “I think the yardage was 165 into a little breeze, and it just landed right in the hole and never came out.”

BELMONT, Mich. – Lexi Thompson birdied six of the first eight holes and wanted more.

“I wanted to make more birdies on the back nine, but it is what it is,” she said.

Thompson did add one more birdie Friday for a season-best 7-under 64 and a share of the Meijer LPGA Classic lead with Alison Lee and Lizette Salas.

“I hit it in the rough on a few holes on the back nine where I needed to hit it in the fairway to be able to make birdies,” Thompson said. “But I’m very happy with my round, don’t get me wrong.”

The 20-year-old Thompson matched Lee and Salas at 9-under 133 at Blythefield Country Club.

Lee, the 20-year-old former UCLA player in her first season on the tour, had a 66, and playing partner Salas, a former University of Southern California star, shot a 69.

Kris Tamulis closed with a bogey on the par-4 ninth to drop into a tie for fourth at 8 under with Gerina Piller, Jaye Marie Green, Wei-Ling Hsu and Q Baek. Tamulis shot 68, Piller 65, Baek 68, and Green and Hsu 69.

Top-ranked Inbee Park, a playoff loser last year in the inaugural event, was tied for 18th at 4 under after a 68. She has a tour-high three victories this season.

Thompson, winless since taking the then-Kraft Nabisco last year for her first major title, took advantage of early windless scoring conditions. Thompson birdied Nos. 1-2, 4-6, 8 and 15.

“The greens were rolling really well out there early in the morning, so it was nice,” Thompson said. “Playing in the morning without the wind and the greens are a little bit softer in the morning so it’s easier to just control the way your irons are going to bounce out into the green. It was a lot easier to control than (Thursday) afternoon.”

Lee, who is still working on her degree at UCLA, said she was inspired by Salas shooting 64 in the first round.

“We kind of pushed each other through the day,” Lee said. “I was fired up today going into the round and wanted to shoot a low number. It’s great to be in contention. I mean, this is my rookie year and I’m still learning.”

Salas said playing in the afternoon in the second round was a sharp contrast to the first round.

“The wind definitely kicked in this afternoon and you have to be really precise to your targets,” she said.

She said she hasn’t been on top of the leaderboard in a while, and she is excited.

“We have 36 more to go and I’m going to try to be patient and stay calm and just be committed to every shot,” she said.

Park said being five shots off the lead was fine, but it is more important to have good results this week to give her confidence going into the Women’s British Open next week.

“The most important thing is just work on my game so it’s ready to go next week,” she said. “You know, make sure that your ball striking, your swing feels good, make sure you’re feeling good on the greens. This is the last chance to try it on. I’m trying to get my game to the level I want. It’s not quite there, but trying to get there.”

ALBANY, N.Y. – Breanna Elliott (Yarrawonga, Australia) played a practice round two weeks ago at the U.S. Women’s Open with the likes of Michelle Wie, Stacy Lewis and Karrie Webb. The appearance at the Open rejuvenated her as she carded a 6-under 65 to share the lead with Volvik Race for the Card No. 9 Augusta James (Bath, Ontario) at the Fuccillo Kia Championship at Capital Hills after day one.

It was a scoreable day as 41 players finished under-par and 62 are at even-par or lower.

Elliott made seven birdies including one on her first hole, the par-5 tenth. She also posted four birdies on a six hole stretch to open her back nine.

“I think off the tee I was really strong, I hit the lines I picked out in my practice rounds and I was quite long today,” said Elliott, who hit 10 of 13 fairways and birdied three of four par-5 holes. “For a good number of the holes, I only had a 9-iron in and that made things so much more comfortable.”

Elliott, who had her best finish of the year last week at the Toyota Danielle Downey Classic (T24), said she felt no stress on the course on Friday.

“The weather was brilliant and I didn’t feel any stress, I felt happy on the golf course,” said Elliott, who ranks 78th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. “The putter was really working, I got the pace of the greens early on and had good rhythm.”

Elliott qualified and played in the U.S. Women’s Open two weeks ago and said that she felt refreshed and excited for golf again after competing against the best in the world.

“I played the U.S Women’s Open and that really motivated me and I had some really awesome practice partners,” said Elliott. “When you play in a massive championship like that, you can’t help but enjoy golf. I had my coach there, I had my mom and dad and it just felt like a special week and it is showing in my golf now that I am in a good place.”

So, what was it like playing with Wie and Lewis and Webb and recent World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Laura Davies?

“If you were going to choose practice partners before the tournament, those would be the names,” said 23-year-old Elliott. “I got really lucky and they were all nice girls.”

Just before the Open, Elliott did something else. She died her hair green.

“I was feeling restless and I wanted to do something different,” said Elliott. “I played with it at the Open and it stood out, there aren’t many girls out there or here with green hair.”

James, who was born on the first round of The Masters in 1993, made seven birdies in her first 15 holes of the day. Her lone hiccup was on the par-4 17th hole.

“I was hitting the ball really well today and hitting it very close and that made things a lot easier,” said James, who won the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial earlier this year. “This round sets me up for the weekend well.”

James, who played with fellow Canadian National team member Brooke Henderson, had a nice gallery of family and friends all afternoon.

“I think Canadian women out here this year have been proving themselves with some Canadian wins and a lot of top 10’s,” said James. “Golf in Canada is progressing very well and it is nice to have that camaraderie out here.”

The 22-year-old grew up playing with Henderson and used to room with her on the road. When asked if Brooke has a bright future ahead of her, James did not hesitate.

“Brooke is playing very well and I think it is clear that she has a bright future.”

After James was done with the media, Brooke addressed James and the state of Canadian women’s golf.

“Gus (Augusta) is a great girl and a great player so we had fun out there today,” said Henderson. “Golf in Canada is growing and getting a lot stronger. As you can see, every week on the Symetra Tour there is a player from Canada near or at the top. On the LPGA, we haven’t really dominated yet, but I think it is coming.”

PORT HOPE – The Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Investors Group Junior Boys’ Championship wrapped up on July 24 from the Dalewood Golf Club in Port Hope. The four-round event was dominated from start to finish by Waterloo’s Trevor Ranton who hoisted the trophy at the end of the day with a final round two-under (69).

Ranton, 18 from the Whistle Bear Golf Club, gained his momentum during the first round when he shot six-under (65). He opened up a four-stroke lead that he used to see out the win during the remaining rounds.

On the final day, Ranton, a member of the Golf Canada Development Squad, started strong with a birdie on the second hole. He would give it back but was even through the turn. On the back nine, Ranton, sealed it with an eagle on the 14^th, to secure the win. He finished the tournament five-under (65-72-73-69-279).

After the win, Ranton spoke about how his opening round set the tempo for the rest of the tournament. “It really allowed me to play freely, knowing that I had that cushion. When my game wasn’t going as well during the second and third day, I was still in a positive mindset because I knew that I had done that the first day and knew I could do it again.”

Ranton is no stranger to winning big events. Just last year he was crowned the GAO Junior Boys’ Match Play Champion and earlier this year he walked away with the CN Future Links Pacific title. Ranton spoke about where this win ranks for him. “It’s awesome to win this, it has been my goal since I started playing in these events. It is really nice to get it in my final junior year. I’ve been lucky enough to have a couple victories in the last year and a bit and this one is right up their at the top, with it being one of the most prestigious events in Ontario.”

Earning the silver medal was Shelburne’s Kyle Johnston, from the Shelburne Golf & Country Club. Johnston, 18, came into the final round at two-over and went on to post a two-under (69) to earn sole possession of second. He ended the tournament at even par (69-72-74-69-284).

The bronze medal was won by Peterborough’s Sam Meek, from the Kawartha Golf & Country Club. Meek, 16, was consistent throughout the tournament and finished three-over (69-73-72-73-287).

Ranton, Johnston and Meek also earned the right to represent Ontario in the inter-provincial team competition at the Canadian Junior Boys’ Championship Aug. 3-6 at the Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec. The top 34 finishers, excluding players already exempt, also received a quota spot for the Canadian Championship.

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