Liu becomes fourth player to win three straight titles in tournament history
Karrisa Yuehan Zhao wins Juvenile division and ties course record in the process
Team Ontario took home Inter-Provincial Team crown on Thursday
CALEDON, Ont. – Shauna Liu has further cemented her name in the history books of Canadian golf, securing the 2026 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (Heathlands Course) in Caledon, Ont. on Friday for the third year in a row.
Liu closed with a 1-over 72, finishing the tournament at 11-under (69-67-65-72-273) to win the Brokenshire Trophy by three over Kirra St-Laurent of Australia.
“It feels awesome. Coming back to the Canadian Junior is something I am familiar with and the players here are people I’ve played with before and especially playing my in my hometown feels super nice to win it here.
“It’s always such an honour to play at the national level and playing at the Canadian Junior with all my teammates and my coaches watching, it’s always really special,” said Liu on the 18th green shortly after being doused by jugs of water courtesy of her Team Canada teammates.
The three-peat puts Liu into impressive company with Canadian Golf Hall of Famers, Sandra Post (1964-66) and Gail Harvey Moore (1958-60) as well as four-time winner Heather Kuzmich (1981-84) as the only players to three-peat in tournament history. Liu also becomes the fifth player to win the national championship three times. Stacey West won three non-consecutive titles in 1974, 1976 and 1977.
“Honestly, it hasn’t sunk in yet, but it is really special and really cool for me to be able to do that and it’s definitely not something that happens every year,” she said with a smile when asked about joining such an accomplished group.
Liu was grouped with Alexis Card of Cambridge, Ont. and Evelyn Ma of Markham, Ont. for the second straight day and began with a four-shot lead on Card.
The lead changed from three to four strokes during the front nine until Liu grabbed her second birdie of the day on nine to pull five ahead of Card at the turn. It remained that way through no. 13 as both Liu and Card dropped a stroke. The lead was then cut to four after another bogey from Liu on 15.
In front of the lead group plenty of noise was being made as a pair of players were on pace for a course record.
Karrisa Yuehan Zhao of West Vancouver, B.C. dropped a birdie putt on 18 to secure a personal best score of 8-under 63 and moved her to 7-under for the tournament and the clubhouse leader for the Juvenile division.
Shortly after Zhao, first round co-leader, St-Laurent narrowly missed her birdie attempt on 18 to also close with a personal best score of 8-under 63 and moved her into solo second in the Junior division.
Zhao and St-Laurent tied the women’s competitive course record at Heathlands which was set by Team Canada member, Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont. during the 2024 PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.
As the final group approached the 18th tee, Liu, coming off back-to-back pars while holding a three-shot lead. Her drive was placed perfectly in the middle of the fairway followed by a chip on and two-putt to the secure the national championship.
“I feel like I definitely didn’t play great golf today, but the important part was that I held on even though it wasn’t great golf and I was able to sink some putts and that really helped me,” added Liu.
On no. 18, Card recorded a bogey and Ma narrowly missed to birdie to give the Florence Harvey Trophy (Juvenile division) to Zhao who patiently watched greenside.
“It’s still a lot to take in right now, I am really excited that I was able to win and I am really grateful to everyone whose supported me for this tournament,” said Zhao.
“I am really happy to play well on the last day especially and this is my new personal best on a really difficult course. I’ve improved a lot and tried my hardest this week,” she added.
Team Canada NextGen member, Ruihan Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C. also enjoyed a successful final round carding a 7-under 64 to finish T7 at even par.
On Thursday, Team Ontario fired a collective 3-under to capture the Inter-Provincial Team title, for the host province’s third team title in five years at the national championship. Team Ontario was represented by Alexis Card of Cambridge, Ont., Avery Nordman of Ottawa, Ont. and Andrea Lai of St. Thomas, Ont.
In addition to the national championship, Liu will receive an exemption into the 113th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and both the 2027 Canadian Junior Girls Championship and 2027 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship.
The Canadian Junior Girls Championship was first contested in 1955 and operated by the former Canadian Ladies Association (CLGA) until the amalgamation of CLGA and Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada) in 2005.
The Canadian Junior Girls Championship has a long list of distinguished past champions that have etched their name on the Brokenshire Trophy. Past champions include Canadian Golf Hall of Famers Lisa Meldrum (2000), Alena Sharp (1999), Sandra Post (1964-66), Betty Stanhope (1956), Judy Darling (1957), Gail Harvey Moore (1958-1960) and Gayle Borthwick (1961). LPGA Tour players Maude-Aimée Leblanc (2006), Brooke Henderson (2012) and Maddie Szeryk (2013) also lifted the Brokenshire Trophy. Stollery Family Team Canada Women’s Head Coach Salimah Mussani (1996, 1998) is also a past Canadian Junior Girls Champion.
For the final leaderboards from the 2026 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO, click here.
