VAUDREUIL-DORION, Que. – Charles-Éric Bélanger claimed victory on the first playoff hole to win the 77^th playing of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.

“I feel I played really well. I hit some pretty good shots and made some great saves for par, as well as, some birdies,” reflected the 16-year-old. “My game plan was just to stay focused on the process and play one shot at a time. With the wind this week and the challenging greens, par was a good score.”

He is the national championship’s first winner from Quebec since André Nols in 1976. The tournament’s Juvenile Division was introduced in 1970; Bélanger is the seventh champion to capture both the Junior and Juvenile titles in the same year. Amongst that group, he is the third to do so in his home province.

“It feels really special,” said Bélanger when asked about returning the championship to Quebec. “It has been 39 years since the last winner was from Quebec, so it just feels great. I am so happy. I’ve worked very hard during the past two years to be able to perform at this level.”

Bélanger carded three birdies and an eagle on the day to equal his 1-under 71 performances in the first and third rounds. Despite his consistent play, the Québec City, Que., native needed an extra hole to secure the victory. Maxwell Sear of Unionville, Ont., made a furious charge to force the playoff, tallying four birdies across the back nine with the last coming on the final hole to match Bélanger at even-par for the tournament.

Raphaël Lapierre-Messier of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., and Henry Lee of Coquitlam, B.C., finished tied for third place. Lapierre-Messier, who entered the final round in a three-way tie for second, shot 2-over 74 to complete the competition at 3-over 291. The 17-year-old Lee recorded two eagles on holes 11 and 14 to move up from seventh place.

Placing second in the Juvenile Division and fifth overall was A.J. Ewart. The product of Coquitlam, B.C., shot a final-round 74 and finished four strokes shy of the winner. Fellow British Columbian Tristan Mandur of Mill Bay, B.C., rounded out the Juvenile Division’s top-3 at a combined score of 296.

Played concurrently with the first 36 holes of the competition was an inter-provincial team competition. Team Quebec consisting of Lapierre-Messier, Team Canada Development Squad member Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que.) and Félix Normand (Beloeil, Que.) claimed the title with a combined even-par 288. Claiming second place was Team Ontario at 296 while 2014 winners Team Alberta finished third with a total of 302.

With the victory, Charles-Éric Bélanger has secured a place in the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. While excited for the opportunity, he plans to maintain a calm demeanor. “I’m just going to have the same plan as this week:  focus on hitting fairways and greens and then I will see the result at the end of the week. I’m not putting any added pressure on myself because I won this week. I need to stay focused on the process.”

Bélanger joins 265 competitors vying for the historic Earl Grey Trophy at the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. The event in Toronto will be co-hosted by Weston Golf & Country Club and The Lambton Golf & Country Club from August 8-13. Details regarding the 111^th playing of the world’s third-oldest national amateur championship can be found here.

Additional information and full scorecards from the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship are available here.

YORKTON, Sask. – Team British Columbia emerged as the Inter-Provincial Junior Girls team champions while Jessica Ip claimed the lead following second-round play at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask.

Ip bested her opening-round score by one shot with a 4-under 69 performance despite tough rainy conditions. The Richmond Hill, Ont., native sits at 7-under par for the tournament and holds a two-stroke advantage going into the third round.

“I was a little more external today; I was thinking not really about my swing, but just about hitting the greens since there’s not much I can do about the weather. I guess I just hit a lot of greens and made a few putts, more than yesterday,” explained the 18-year-old.

Ip, who is heading into her second year playing for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, partially credits the experience of playing NCAA golf for her early success in the tournament.

“I feel like my mentality coming back from school has changed this summer. I think I’ve been a little more aggressive and ambitious about how I’m shooting and how I should be playing. I think that has really helped me,” said Ip who carded five birdies on the day.

Two shots back is Hannah Lee who opened with the lead after 18 holes. The 15-year-old battled tough conditions early in the morning, but re-focused to card a 2-over par round. The product of Surrey, B.C., is 5-under for the tournament and leads the Juvenile Division.

In third place is Team Canada Development squad member Michelle Kim, also of Surrey, B.C., who carded an even-par second round and is 2-under through 36 holes.

The two Team British Columbia members led their home province to victory in the Inter-Provincial team competition played concurrently with the first two rounds of play. The pair, along with 12-year-old Akari Hayashi of Victoria, posted a two-day total of 7-under par 285 to capture the team championship by 20 strokes.

“It’s nice playing as a team because we usually play as individuals. We don’t really get to cheer on each other, we usually try to bite off each other’s heads,” joked Lee, whose 7-under par competitive course record in her first round gave the trio an early advantage in the team contest. “Canada has a strong field of girls and being able to win nationals was one of my goals for sure.”

Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que.), Sarah-Eve Rheaume (Québec City, Que.) and Annie Lacombe (Laval, Que.) of Team Québec finished as runners-up with a two-day total of 305. Two shots back and finishing in third place was Team Ontario, comprised of Mississauga, Ont., product Chloe Currie, Alexandra Naumovski of Hornby, Ont., and Richmond Hill, Ont., native Kristen Wong.

Four shots back of Hannah Lee in the Juvenile Division is Kathrine Chan. The Richmond, B.C., native shot 3-over 76 and is two strokes clear of fellow British Columbian Euna Han of Coquitlam. The 12-year-old tallied four birdies on the day; at even-par 146, she also sits seventh in the overall competition.

Seventy players who shot 22-over par or better through the opening two rounds have advanced to the third round of play, which begins Thursday at 7 a.m. CST.

Tee times and full results for the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship are available here.

VAUDREUIL-DORION, Que. – Maxwell Sear holds the 54-hole lead at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship hosted by Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.

Maxwell Sear shared the 36-hole lead of the national championship heading into today’s third-round. The Unionville, Ont., native was able to finish the day with an even-par 72.

Sear had a rough start this morning with three bogeys in the first five holes. “I started off a little slow but I settled down with a birdie on 9 and then another on 12 which was a good birdie because it was playing into the wind so it was a tough hole,” said Sear of this third-round.

Sear was able to keep his round in control and stay at even-par for the tournament at 216. Sear’s impressive 2015 season includes a win at the Ontario Junior Boys Spring Classic, a runner-up finish at the CN Future Links Ontario Championship and a tie for third at the Ontario Men’s Amateur.

“Whenever you give yourself a chance to win it’s always nice. It’s going to be exciting going into the back-nine tomorrow,” said Sear when asked about playing in the final group Thursday.

Sear will be challenged by the three individuals tied for second-place at 217. Quebec products Charles-Éric Bélanger of Québec City, Brandon Lacasse of Châteauguay and Raphaël Lapierre-Messier of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu are only one stroke off the lead, each hoping to become the first Canadian Junior Boys Champion from Quebec since André Nols won in 1976.

Opening-round co-leader Bélanger also continues to lead in the Juvenile division after a round of 1-under 71 today. Bélanger was able to reach 4-under par until making a bogey on hole 13. He made four pars before a disappointing double bogey on 18 to post one of only two under-par scores on Wednesday.

Lacasse moved up the leaderboard to finish in second-place with a third-round of even-par that was highlighted by an eagle on the par 5 hole 14. Lapierre-Messier fell back from his 36-hole share of the lead to join the trio at 1-over 217 after a third round 2-over 74. He made three straight birdies from holes 8 to 10.

The tight leaderboard has an additional two players, A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., and Kevin Gordon of Whitby, Ont., at 2-over 218 tied for fifth place. In the Juvenile division, A.J. Ewart is only one behind Bélanger’s lead.

In a tie for third place in the Juvenile division are Tristan Mandur from Mill Bay, B.C., and Jack Simpson  from Aurora, Ont., at 7-over 223.

Team Canada’s Development Squad member Patrick Murphy of Crossfield, Atla., signed for a round of 2-over 74 to sit T14 heading into tomorrow’s final round.

The winner of the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will earn an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship co-hosted by Weston Golf & Country Club and The Lambton Golf & Country Club from August 8 – 13.

The final round of the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will begin tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. EST with the leaders teeing off at 9:42a.m.

For more information on the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, including final-round pairings and full scorecards, please click here.

TORONTO – The 111^th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will re-visit the roots of Canadian golf in 2015. Lambton Golf & Country Club – the home of the tournament’s most decorated champion, George S. Lyon – will co-host the competition alongside Weston Golf & Country Club, which is celebrating its 100^th year, from August 8-13.

“This year’s co-hosting venues have a long history with the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and Canadian golf,” explained Tournament Director Adam Helmer. “George S. Lyon, an eight-time winner of this tournament, honed his game at Lambton. Weston saw a young Arnold Palmer win his first Tour victory and has since played a significant part in growing Canadian golf over the past century. Both courses are among Canada’s best and we look forward to seeing our impressive field challenge them.”

The Canadian Men’s Amateur Qualifier is set to take place at Weston Golf & Country Club on August 7. Two days of practice rounds are slated for August 8 and 9 before competitors from eight countries take to both courses on August 10 and 11 for the championship’s first 36 holes. The field will be reduced to 70 players and ties for the two final rounds at Weston as competitors try to claim the historic Earl Grey Trophy. James Beale of New Zealand won the trophy in 2014 after a thrilling three-hole playoff.

The field of 264 competitors will be competing for exemptions into the 2016 RBC Canadian Open to be played at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., as well as, the 2015 U.S. Amateur Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill. The champion will also be eligible to receive an exemption into the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Mid-Amateur or the U.S. Senior Amateur, if applicable.

Team Canada’s Austin Connelly of Irving, Texas and Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont., will be among the Canadian contingent vying for the championship. Connelly is Canada’s highest-ranked amateur at No. 16 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. The two national team members are coming identical 1-under performances at the 2015 RBC Canadian Open which saw them recognized as co-recipients of the Gary Cowan Medal for low amateur honours.

Reigning Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion and 2015 Ontario Mid-Amateur champion Garrett Rank will continue a busy summer. The Elmira, Ont., native represented Canada at the Toronto 2015 Pan-Am games alongside Connelly and also competed in Canada’s National Open Championship.

All six members of Team Canada’s Development Squad will round out the national team contingent in the competition. Étienne Papineau of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., is looking to build upon a successful summer that has seen the 19-year-old capture the Alexander of Tunis trophy and the Quebec Men’s Amateur Championship – two legs of Golf Quebec’s prestigious Triple Crown. Teammate Trevor Ranton is hoping to carry forward momentum after claiming the 2015 CN Future Links Pacific Championship and winning the Golf Association of Ontario’s Investors Group Junior Boys’ Championship.

Rico Hoey of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., returns to the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship looking to improve upon a T6 finish in last year’s event. The No. 74-ranked amateur finished runner-up at the 2015 Saguaro Men’s Amateur Championship. Fellow Californian Eli Cole of Beverly Hills hopes to become a two-time winner of this event to go with his 2013 title.

An inter-provincial championship will take place in conjunction with the first two rounds of the tournament with three-member teams competing for the Willingdon Cup. Team Ontario claimed the competition in 2014 with Chris Hemmerich (Kitchener, Ont.), Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) and Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) combining to shoot 9-under 275, eight strokes clear of Team Alberta.

A minimum of five spots into the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will be awarded through the championship’s qualifier on Friday, August 7 at Weston Golf & Country Club. Pairings and start times can be found here.

Admission to the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Weston Golf & Country Club and Lambton Golf & Country Club is free during tournament week. Additional information regarding the championship is available here.

VAUDREUIL-DORION, Que. – Team Quebec captured the inter-provincial team championship on home soil at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. The competition comprised of three-person teams is conducted in conjunction with the first 36-holes of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

With a combined score of 288, Team Quebec was led by the strong second-round play of Raphaël Lapierre-Messier who posted a 3-under round of 69. Lapierre-Messier co-leads the Junior division at 1-under 143.

The St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., native was joined on Team Quebec by Étienne Papineau, a native of the same hometown. Papineau, a member of Team Canada’s Development Squad, posted a second-round 1-under 71 to sit T4. The final member of Team Quebec, Félix Normand of Beloeil, Que., signed for a score of 78.

“Étienne and I were able to fight back even though it was really hard out there. The wind was blowing strong. I was proud of how we fought back even though we didn’t start great,” said Lapierre-Messier of his team’s win.

Lapierre-Messier recorded a total of five birdies en route to the tournament’s only score in the 60s through the second round.

“I started off my front nine really solid and I played good golf, it was nothing extraordinary, but it was solid,” explained the 18-year-old. “On the back nine, I struggled a little, but my putter saved me. I did miss some putts, but I made a lot to make up for it. It was a good day.”

Joining him at the top of the leaderboard is Maxwell Sear of Unionville, Ont. The 2015 Ontario Junior Boys Spring Classic champion climbed up the standings with five birdies today after an opening round of 73.

In third place at one stroke back is Whitby, Ont., product Kevin Gordon who posted a round of 1-over 73 with back-to-back birdies on holes 11 and 12.

Team Ontario finished runner-up in the inter-provincial competition with a total of 296. Ontarians Kyle Johnston of Shelburne and Sam Meek of Peterborough carded rounds of 1-under to account for their team’s score. In third place was defending champion Team Alberta with a combined total of 302. The team’s second round tally was comprised of Camrose, Alta., native Andrew Harrison’s 3-over 75 and Calgary product Alexander Smith’s 78.

In total, 73 players who shot 13-over 157 or better made the 36-hole cut and will advance to the final two rounds.

In the Juvenile division, opening-round co-leader Charles-Éric Bélanger of Québec City, Que., moved into solo first at 146 following a 3-over 75 second round. A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., is one stroke back in second place while Jack Simpson of Aurora, Ont., rounds out the top three players aged 16-and-under.

The winner of the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will earn an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship co-hosted by Weston Golf & Country Club and The Lambton Golf & Country Club from August 8 – 13.

The third round of the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will begin tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. EDT.

For more information on the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, including third-round pairings and full scorecards, please click here.

YORKTON, Sask. – Hannah Lee carded a competitive women’s course record of 7-under par 66 at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask., to claim the lead as play began at the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

The Surrey, B.C., native tallied more birdies on her card than any of her competitors. The 15-year-old carded nine birdies, including back-to-back sets on three separate occasions. She notched her final pair across her last two holes to take the lead in both the Junior and Juvenile divisions.

“When I started today, I honestly didn’t expect to break my lowest score,” said Lee, who topped her personal best of 6-under par. “It feels good, especially to shoot it in a big tournament.”

The soon-to-be eleventh grader has a three-shot advantage going into the second round of competition. “I was able to sink a couple of putts and my tee shots were pretty good today. I’m going to do the best I can tomorrow just like I did today,” added Lee.

Kathrine Chan of Richmond, B.C., shot a 4-under 69 and currently sits in second place. Her first round was highlighted by three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 fourth hole. The 15-year-old went bogey-free across the front nine and shot even-par on the challenging second half of the course.

“My driver was working really well for me today and so were my irons. I’m just looking to play my own game and not worry about what others are doing,” said Chan when asked about her game plan heading into the rest of the tournament.

The 15-year-old earned her way into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship after a fourth place finish at the CN Future Links Prairie Championship. “That was a lot of fun and it helped me prepare for this tournament. It helped my mental game and I gained a lot of experience,” she reflected.

Four shots back after shooting a 3-under par round is Richmond Hill, Ont., native Jessica Ip who tallied five birdies in her opening round. The 18-year-old competed in last week’s Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in Saskatoon, Sask., and benefited from lessons learned at the competition.

“I really realized what I was struggling with because those two rounds kind of emphasized that my ball striking wasn’t that good and I wasn’t making any putts. I came here early and worked on that,” explained the University of Iowa sophomore who credits her short game for Tuesday’s result.

Team Canada Development squad members Michelle Kim of Surrey, B.C., and Victoria product Naomi Ko are tied for fourth after carding rounds of 71.

Team British Columbia leads the inter-provincial competition after a combined 9-under par performance. The team comprised of current leader Hannah Lee, Team Canada’s Michelle Kim and Victoria’s Akari Hayashi holds a 14-shot advantage over second-place Team Manitoba. The provincial team competition will conclude following the second round of play.

The top 70 players and ties will make the 36-hole cut and advance to day three of the National Championship on Thursday.

For full details on tee times and scoring, click here.

Men’s Development Squad member Étienne Papineau has committed to play golf for West Virginia University beginning in the fall of 2016.

Papineau, the lone remaining member of the Men’s Development Squad yet to commit to a post-secondary school, made the announcement just days following his amateur championship win in his home province of Québec.

The 18-year-old St-Jean-sur-Richelieu native has elected to remain home for another year to improve his English while continuing to solidify his golf game with provincial head coach Fred Colgan before joining the Mountaineers.

West Virginia Unviersity, a Div I school in the Big 12 conference, is re-launching its golf program after a 30-year hiatus from competition. Papineau will look to be a part of the Mountaineer’s core for years to come.

Charles-Éric Bélanger (Photo courtesy of Roger Lauzon).

VAUDREUIL-DORION, Que. – Four competitors shot 1-under-par 71 to take the opening round lead in the 77^th Canadian Junior Boys Championship being contested at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.

Two 16-year-olds, Charles-Éric Bélanger  of Québec City, Que., and A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., are co-leaders in both the Junior and Juvenile divisions.

The pair are joined at the top of the Junior leaderboard by 18-year-old Kevin Gordon of Whitby, Ont., and 17-year-old Henry Lee of Coquitlam, B.C.

While Summerlea Golf & Country Club was not affected by the heavy rainfall in the area, the competitors were challenged with gusty winds throughout the day.

Despite the challenging conditions, Bélanger maintained focus on the course. “I made good saves. I putted really well and struck the ball well. I tried to hit every fairway and attack every green in hopes of making a lot of birdies.”

Bélanger recorded five birdies on the day, including one on 18, to be one of only three players to birdie the final par four.

Bélanger and Ewart are looking to become the ninth player to win both the Junior and Juvenile titles in the same year since the Juvenile competition was introduced in 1970.

“I’m going to focus on hitting fairways and greens and not think too much about the outcome at the end, but if I did (win) it would be a great accomplishment,” added Bélanger.

A tight leaderboard has four players one-stroke back of the lead in a tie for fifth place. Opening the competition with rounds of even-par were Aaron Black of Grimsby, Ont., Gabriel Gingras of Chelsea, Que., Andrew Harrison of Camrose, Alta., and Brett Pasula of Red Deer, Alta.

Team Canada’s Development Squad was led by Étienne Papineau with a score of 2-over 74. The St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., native is tied for twelfth place and sits three strokes shy of the lead. Squad members Trevor Ranton of Waterloo, Ont., and Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont., both signed for rounds of 4-over 76.

An inter-provincial team championship is conducted in conjuction with the first 36 holes of play. Team Quebec leads by one stroke over defending champions Team Alberta. The Quebec contingent is comprised of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., natives Étienne Papineau and Raphaël Lapierre-Messier, as well as, Félix Normand of Beloeil, Que.

The winner of the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will earn an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship from August 8 – 13, co-hosted by Weston Golf & Country Club and The Lambton Golf & Country Club.

The second-round of the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will continue tomorrow morning with a split tee start on holes 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m. EST. Following the second-round, the field will be cut to the low 70 players and ties.

Full results from the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, are available here.

SASKATOON, Sask. – Pearl City, Hawaii native Mariel Galdiano captured the 2015 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship by one stroke after a final-round 3-under 69 at Riverside Country Club in Saskatoon, Sask.

The 102^nd edition of the championship came down to the final hole between Galdiano and Bethany Wu of Diamond Bar, Calif., with both at 5-under par for the tournament. The 17-year-old Galdiano made par to claim the title as Wu carded a bogey.

“For tournaments, I don’t really focus on ‘I have to win’ or ‘I need to do this or I need to do that,” explained Galdiano, who held the opening-round lead, but needed a strong final day to secure the victory. “Having the lead after the first round was nice, but I knew it was far from over. My mind set was just staying focus and doing well.”

The UCLA commit carded 16 birdies throughout the 72-hole tournament, including three on her last nine holes to close out the competition. The victory earned Galdiano exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.

Galdiano was at a loss for words when asked to reflect on competing in Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship. “Wow, I don’t know. I usually just qualify for the U.S. Open, but being able to qualify for the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, that’s pretty awesome.”

The No. 29-ranked player on the World Amateur Golf Rankings was the youngest golfer to qualify for the 2011 U.S. Open at 13. She has now competed in three editions of the LPGA major championship (2011, 2013 and 2015) and earned a T42 result this year.

Finishing in solo-second was No. 5-ranked Bethany Wu. The 18-year-old entered the final round in a four-way tie for first and put up a valiant effort, carding three birdies on the back-nine. The Californian finished one-shot short at 4-under 284 for the championship.

Peru’s Lucia Gutierrez, Lauren Greenlief of Reston, Va., and Maple Grove, Minn., native Sarah Burnham completed the tournament in a three-way tie for third at 1-under 287.

Team Canada National Amateur Squad member Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., completed the competition with a 4-under 68 to mark her low round for the tournament. The 19-year-old moved up nine spots into a three-way tie for sixth and finished as low Canadian.

“I knew I had to shoot really low to get it even close, so I just went for everything,” said Szeryk. “It means a lot to me to be able to come in the Top-10 and be the low Canadian, especially in the Canadian Amateur.”

Galdiano will now turn her attention to the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, to be played at The Vancouver Club in Coquitlam, B.C. The 43^rd playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship is set to take place August 17-23.

Additional information and full results are available here.

Low scores on moving day have left four players tied atop the leaderboard of the 2015 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Riverside Country Club in Saskatoon, Sask.

Following a postponed first round, the third day of competition began with the conclusion of the second round. The subsequent third round of play finished with Eun-Jeong Seong, Lucia Gutierrez, Bethany Wu and Mariel Galdiano deadlocked for first at 2-under.

Seong climbed the leaderboard by 15 spots after carding a competitive course record of 6-under 66. Playing in her second round of the day, the 15-year-old strung together five birdies over her last seven holes to finish the back nine at 5-under par 30. Seong opened the tournament with rounds of 76 and even-par 72. The product of Korea ranks No. 18 on the World Amateur Golf rankings after capturing the 2015 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in Tulsa, Okla.

Lucia Gutierrez played two strong rounds Thursday to move into contention. In her first round of the day, the Peruvian shot a bogey-free 4-under and followed with a third-round 71 to earn a share of the lead.

“I had a pretty simple plan, hit fairways, greens, and it doesn’t matter where on the green you are. I tell myself wherever you are, you can make a two-putt. I’m hitting the ball very well, so I’m very confident whenever I stand over the ball,” said the 19-year-old.

Gutierrez credits her Pan American Games experience – a tie for seventh – with her recent play and boost in confidence. “It really prepared me for this especially, and for all the tournaments I have coming up. It definitely got me in the groove of playing very competitive golf. It was great practice. I got to play against some of the best in the entire continent,” Gutierrez explained.

The No. 5-ranked Bethany Wu of Diamond Bar, Calif., added rounds of 72 and 69 on Thursday to advance two spots. Wu’s third round 3-under performance consisted of five birdies, highlighted by a pair across holes 11 and 12.

Pearl City, Haiwaii native Mariel Galdiano, 17, led the field after round one and is now back on top after carding a third-round 70. The No. 29-ranked player in the world rebounded from an early morning second-round 75 with a 2-under par performance on Thursday afternoon that included three birdies.

Not far behind the quartet are Cindy Ha (Demarest, N.J.), Lauren Greenlief (Reston, Va.) and Lakareber Abe (Angleton, Texas) who sit tied for fifth at even par.

Leading the way for the Canadian contingent is Team Canada National Amateur Squad member Jennifer Ha of Calgary owns a share of twelfth at 3-over par for the tournament. Teammate Maddie Szeryk is T15 at 4-over following a third-round 70.

Team Alberta emerged as the Inter-Provincial Women’s Champions. Counting towards the competition on the day were the team’s two best second-round scores– Jennifer Ha’s 1-under 71 and Team Canada Development Squad member Jaclyn Lee’s 1-over 73. The final member of the team, Sabrine Garrison, notched a 78. The trio of Calgarians finished 8-over 296 to capture the two-round competition.

Taylor Kim (Surrey, B.C.), Michelle Kim (Surrey, B.C.) and Gloria Usu Choi (Langley, B.C.) of Team British Columbia finished as runners-up with a two-day total of 303. Team Ontario rounded out the Top-3 with Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., Thornhill, Ont., native Elizabeth Tong and Grace St-Germain of Ottawa combining for 305.

Seventy-one players who shot 15-over par or better through the opening two rounds advanced to the third round of play. Round four tees off Friday at 7:30 a.m. CST. Tee times and full results are available here.