Henry Dao recorded rounds of 68, 72 and 69 to win third-straight title while Alexis Card emerged from a tight battle to secure a playoff victory.
MANOTICK, Ont. – Henry Dao of La Prairie, Que. fired the lowest round of the day to overcome a five-stroke deficit and defend his title for a second consecutive year, while Alexis Card of Cambridge, Ont. needed extra holes to claim a win of her own to cap off an entertaining finish to the 2025 NextGen Quebec Championship at Rideau View Golf Club in Manotick, Ont.
Five different players held a share of the lead on Saturday to emphasize the tight battle for the Junior Boys division title, yet it was Dao – who started his final round in a three-way tie for third – that stormed back with a strong back nine and secure his third consecutive NextGen Quebec Championship.
Mixing in a birdie with eight bogey-free holes to start his round, the reigning champion made his move on a packed field atop the leaderboard with an eagle at the par-5 10th to get to seven-under par. Dao continued his climb, adding crucial birdies at Nos. 14 and 16 as players ahead of him fell out of contention to open the door wide open to retain his title.
Eddie Gu of Aurora, Ont. held the 36-hole lead at nine-under par but a pair of double bogeys at Nos. eight and 15 gave life to several chasers including Dao and Thomas Robert of Levis, Que. Both Dao and Robert sat atop the leaderboard on the final hole, but a double bogey left Robert in a tie with Thomas Grenier of Thetford Mines, Que. for second and Dao all alone in a familiar spot atop the rest of the field.
“I was just trying to play some good golf and make some shots and that’s what I did,” said Dao. “I just proved to myself that when my game is good, I can beat anyone out here,” he added.
Card, who started her final round Saturday leading Amelia McFarlane of Carleton Place, Ont. by three strokes, stalled on the front nine to allow her closest chaser to gain ground. Bogeys at the second and fifth holes trimmed her advantage to just a single stroke before a double bogey at the seventh propelled McFarlane into her first lead of the tournament.
The two continued their fight on the back nine, where a double bogey at the par-4 13th briefly returned McFarlane into a deadlock with Card at four-over par. The 36-hole leader was able to capitalize however, wiping away a bogey at the par-5 16th with a clutch birdie on the final hole to claw her way into a playoff.
It only took Card one extra hole to defeat McFarlane, who recorded a par while the former rolled in a four-foot putt for birdie to put the finishing touches on her maiden win on the NextGen Championship circuit and secure her place in this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Club de golf Sainte-Marie in Sainte Marie, Que.
“It feels great and gives me a lot of confidence going into an event like that that I can compete against these girls and have a good chance to win,” commented Card following her round.
NextGen Quebec Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Boys Championship
*Top 6 qualify
| Henry Dao (La Prairie, Que.) | -7 |
| Thomas Robert (Levis, Que.) | -6 |
| Thomas Grenier (Thetford Mines, Que.) | -6 |
| Michael Vivone (Ottawa, Ont.) | -5 |
| Eddie Gu (Aurora, Ont.) | -5 |
| Bode Stephen (Kingston, Ont.) | -3 |
NextGen Quebec Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Girls Championship
*Top 6 plus ties qualify
| Alexis Card (Cambridge, Ont.) | +4* |
| Amelia McFarlane (Carleton Place, Ont.) | +4 |
| Andrea Lai (St. Thomas, Ont.) | +6 |
| Leonie Tavares (St. Jerome, Que) | +6 |
| Sophie Foulds (Ottawa, Ont.) | +7 |
| Kristen Lee (Mississauga, Ont.) | +12 |
*Won on 1st playoff hole
The NextGen Championship circuit will embark on its final stop July 14-17 for the playing of the 2025 NextGen Atlantic Championship at Oakfield Golf & Country Club in Enfield, N.S. The 54-hole event will be the last opportunity for players to punch their tickets to each of the national championships for the Junior Boys and Junior Girls divisions.
To view the final leaderboards from the 2025 NextGen Quebec Championship, please click here.
About the NextGen Championships
The NextGen Championships are a high-performance junior golf series which totals six competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2024 national championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.