YORKTON, Sask. Michelle Kim carded a final-round even-par to win the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask.

The 18-year-old Team Canada Development Squad member’s third-round 69 propelled her ahead of the competition with a 4-stroke lead through 54-holes; she went on to finish the championship at 6-under par 286.

“This is probably the biggest achievement that I’ve ever made. I mean I still can’t believe it; it feels amazing especially because it is my last junior tournament and I’ve worked really hard,” said the native of Surrey, B.C.

Kim managed four rounds at even-par or better through high winds and rainy conditions to capture the championship by two strokes.

“I’ve played this tournament for many years and I’ve gotten close, but I was never really that close to winning. To win this just really gives me a big confidence boost going into the University of Idaho and competing in NCAA tournaments,” said Kim.

Fellow Surrey, B.C., native and provincial teammate Hannah Lee finished her final round at 2-under par to claim solo-second at 4-under for the championship. Lee’s round was highlighted by four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 second hole.

“I was close to winning it, but I’m really happy for Michelle. I’ve seen her golf ever since I started playing tournaments, so congrats to her,” said the 15-year-old who claimed the Juvenile Division title. “It’s an honour to win the Juvenile part of Nationals,” said Lee who didn’t think she would play as well as she did in this championship.

“I will take my experience from this tournament, I’m going to think about the memories I had here and remember to use them for my next tournaments so I can be more successful,” said Lee, who opened the competition with a competitive course record of 66.

Rounding out the top-three in the overall standings was Team Canada Development Squad member Naomi Ko. The 17-year-old from Victoria shot a final round of 72 to finish at 3-under 289 for the national championship.

Kathrine Chan finished in second in the Juvenile Division, 3-shots back of the winner. The 15-year-old began the championship in fast fashion with a 4-under 69 and played steady golf to earn runner-up honours.  The Richmond, B.C., product shot an even-par final round with four birdies to finish 1-under for the tournament.

Three shots back at 2-over par 294 and wrapping up the top-three in the Juvenile Division was 12-year-old Euna Han. The Coquitlam, B.C., native tallied a hole-in-one on No. 8 and added two birdies to her round of 4-over 77.

An Inter-Provincial competition coincided with the first two rounds and saw Team British Columbia comprised of the Junior and Juvenile champions, alongside Victoria native Akari Hayashi, capture the team championship by 20 strokes at 7-under par.

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 in third place was Mississauga, Ont., product Chloe Currie, Alexandra Naumovski of Hornby, Ont., and Richmond Hill, Ont., native Kristen Wong of Team Ontario.

With the victory in the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, Michelle Kim has earned a spot in the 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship hosted at Ken-Wo Golf Club in New Minas, N.S., and has earned exemptions into the 2016 season’s three Canadian Women’s Tour events.

For full results and information regarding the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, click here.

YORKTON, Sask. – Team Canada’s Michelle Kim shot 4-under par to take the lead at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask.

The National Team Development Squad member from Surrey, B.C., carded five birdies to move up the leaderboard by two spots and sit four-strokes clear of her nearest competitor heading into the final round of play.

“I was very consistent off the tee which gave me the advantage. My iron shots were very good and I was just rolling those putts in for birdies and I went low today,” said the 18-year old whose round was highlighted by back-to-back birdies on holes 16 and 17.

“I won the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship which is definitely a confidence booster for tomorrow’s round,” said Kim, whose 2015 season has also included the B.C. Junior Girls Championship, the CJGA Western Canadian Junior Championship and a sixth-place finish in the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

When asked about the final round, Kim maintained her resolve and focus. “Same plan as today, my goal is to shoot under par, I’m just going to play my own game and not care what others shoot.”

A quartet of players sits four shots behind the leader, including Kim’s Development Squad teammate Naomi Ko. The 17-year-old fired a 1-under par 72 to move up two spots in the standings. The product of Victoria carded an eagle on the par-5 second hole and added four more birdies on the day.

Thirty-six-hole leader Jessica Ip of Richmond Hill, Ont., struggled on Thursday with a 5-over par. The 18-year-old finished the round with a birdie and was able to hang on to a share of second.

Twelve-year-old Euna Han of Coquitlam, B.C., fired a bogey-free 2-under par round to move into a share of second. Han earned her way into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship after finishing in third-place at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship.

Hannah Lee, 15, shot 3-over par and remained in the second slot on the leaderboard at 2-under par 217. The Surrey, B.C., native fired two birdies through her last four holes to remain under par for the tournament.

Han and Lee sit tied atop the Juvenile Division and are one-shot ahead of Richmond, B.C., native Kathrine Chan. The 15-year-old finished her third round at even-par and is 1-over through 54 holes; she sits in solo sixth in the overall competition.

The final round of the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship begins Friday at 7 a.m. CST with the final group set to tee off at 11:02 a.m.

Tee times and full results 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.

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.

SASKATOON, Sask. – The second round of the 2015 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship concluded Thursday afternoon at Riverside Country Club with Team Alberta emerging as the Inter-Provincial Women’s Champions.

Day three of competition started with half of the players teeing off in their second round after play was suspended on Tuesday.

The team was led by Team Canada National Amateur Squad member Jennifer Ha who shot a 1-under 71 to contribute to her team’s even score on the day. The second to count towards the standings came from Team Canada Development Squad member Jaclyn Lee who shot 1-over par.

The final member of the team, Sabrine Garrison, notched a 78. The trio of Calgarians finished 8-over 296 for 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 the runners-up with a two day total 303. The third place finishers were Team Ontario comprised of Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., Thornhill, Ont., native Elizabeth Tong and Grace St-Germain of Ottawa.

In the individual contest, Lakareber Abe of Angleton, Texas and benefited from late rounds Wednesday night to take a share of the lead. Also sharing the lead is Peru’s Lucia Gutierrez who fired a 68 in her second round on Thursday. At 1-under par for the tournament, both players sit one shot clear of Mariel Galdiano of Pearl City, Hawaii who finished her second round Thursday afternoon at 3-over par.

Seventy-one players who shot 15-over par or better through the opening two rounds have advanced to the third round of play. For more information including third round tee-times and live-scoring click here.

YORKTON, Sask. – The nation’s top junior female golfing talents will be on display at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, August 3-7, at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask.

The 61^st edition of the championship will showcase over 100 of Canada’s top juniors.

“There is so much anticipation for this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship,” said Tournament Director Dan Hyatt. “The field is strong and it will make for a very exciting four days of action. Deer Park is in very good shape and we are looking forward to having Canada’s best compete for this prestigious title.”

Defending her 2014 Canadian Junior Girls title will be Team Canada Development Squad member Grace St-Germain. The 17-year-old captured last year’s championship by seven strokes. The Ottawa native has seen early success to start the season, capturing the CN Future Links Pacific Championship and carding a runner-up finish at the Québec Women’s Amateur Championship.

Development Squad member Michelle Kim of Surrey, B.C., who finished 6^th in last year’s event, will look to add to an already impressive 2015. The 18-year-old claimed the Flumerfelt Cup as 2015 B.C. Women’s Amateur Champion and also took the B.C. Junior Girls Championship title, finishing nine strokes clear of her nearest competitor.

Also in attendance as provincial champions will be Alberta’s Katy Rutherford, Veronica Vetesnik of Manitoba, Chloe Currie who claimed the Ontario crown, and New Brunswick champion Laura Jones. Playing in their home province will be Saskatchewan Junior Girls co-medalists Brooke Hobson and Kayla Sawchuk.

A number of CN Future Links champions are hoping to add a national title to their seasons. Allison Chandler of Chester, N.S., claimed the Nova Scotia Junior Girls title and the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship. Alyssa Getty of Ruthven, Ont., who claimed the Ontario and Québec CN Future Links titles, will be in the field alongside Calgary native Kenna Hughes who took the Western title and Team Canada Development Squad member Alisha Lau of Richmond, B.C., who was crowned at the championship’s Prairie edition.

The remaining members of the National Team’s junior contingent will also convene at Deer Park Golf Course. Victoria, B.C., native Naomi Ko, who finished tied for runner-up at the 2015 Ontario Women’s Amateur, will be joined by Jaclyn Lee of Calgary who claimed victory at the 2014 Alberta Ladies Amateur and the 2014 Alberta Girls Championships.

This year’s Canadian Junior Girls Champion will receive an exemption into the 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, as well as, each of the 2016 Canadian Women’s Tour events.

Practice rounds will be held Monday, August 3, while championship play will begin Tuesday, August 4 before concluding on Friday, August 7 with 18 holes of stroke play each day.

The Juvenile Championship, which is open to female amateurs 16-years-old and under, will be played concurrently with the Junior Girls Championship. An inter-provincial team championship will take place in conjunction with the first two rounds of stroke play; Team Quebec enters the tournament as the defending champion.

More information on the tournament, including the full field and tee-times, is available here.

Thornhill, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Grace St-Germain carded four consecutive under-par rounds to claim the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Thornhill Golf and Country Club. 

The 15-year-old showed poise over the final 18 holes, withstanding Team Canada Development Squad member Valérie Tanguay by firing a final round 1-under 71. The victory is the Ottawa native’s first national championship and comes on the heels of wins at the Quebec Women’s Amateur and Ontario Junior Girls Match-Play.

“It feels great, it’s a great accomplishment and it’s an honour to have my name on that trophy,” St-Germain said following her round.

St-Germain finished the championship as the only player under-par at 6-under 282 to claim both the Junior Girls and Juvenile division titles. Over 72 holes she carded 18 birdies to finish seven strokes ahead of Tanguay after rounds of 70-70-71-71. 

“This morning on the putting green, Reggie [GAO’s coach] just told me to just breathe and smile and you’ll be okay, so I just tried to breathe and smile,” she said about overcoming her final round nerves.

With St-Germain’s win she also earns an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and all three Canadian Women’s Tour stops next season. 

Tanguay of St-Hyacinthe, Que., battled with St-Germain on the opening nine, trading the lead back and forth before stumbling on the closing stretch. The 18-year-old struggled on the back-nine posting a 4-over 40 to finish in solo second at 1-over 289 after a final round 5-over 77.

Thornhill’s Selena Costabile claimed solo third after a 3-over 75 to finish the championship at 3-over 291. Costabile also finished in second place in the Juvenile division, while Development Squad member Naomi Ko of Victoria carded a 2-under 70 to finish in fourth overall at 4-over 292.

Courtney Tolton of Mitchell, Ont. rounded out the top-5 after a final round 1-under 71 to finish at 6-over for the championship.

Thornhill, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Grace St-Germain carded a third round 1-under 71 to head into the final round atop the leaderboard at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Thornhill Golf and Country Club.

St-Germain’s third round was highlighted by six birdies, including one on the final hole, that gave her the outright lead over Team Canada Development Squad member Valérie Tanguay.

“Valérie was playing really well and I was having a couple of bogeys and I just tried to come back,” St-Germain said. “I was just trying to make birdies and sometimes my putts just wouldn’t go in or my drive would bounce out into the rough and I just tried to keep it together.”

The 15-year-old Ottawa native sits one-stroke ahead of Tanguay at 5-under 211 after rounds of 70-70-71. After her third round she admitted to nerves playing a factor on Thursday.

“I’ve been quite nervous, I was given some good advice just to stay calm, stay in the moment and relax so I’ve been trying to do that,” St-Germain continued. “Tomorrow I’m just going to play my best and see what happens, I still haven’t totally grasped [being in the lead] yet.”

Tanguay, of St-Hyacinthe, Que., opened her third round with a 3-under 33 and held the outright lead on the closing nine until carding a double bogey on the par-4 14th hole. The 18-year-old currently sits at 4-under 212 heading into the final round, while Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont. jumped into third place after a 3-under 69. Costabile, 16, sits at even-par 216 for the championship and will play in the final pairing on Friday.

After 54 holes, Team Canada Development Squad member Naomi Ko sits in fourth place at 6-over 222, while Courtney Tolton of Mitchell, Ont. and Michelle Kim of Surrey, B.C. share fifth place at 7-over 223.

In the Juvenile Division (16 and under), St-Germain leads by five strokes over Costabile.

Starting times, post-round results, full field list, and live scoring are available here.

Thornhill, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Grace St-Germain fired a second consecutive 2-under 70 to grab the outright lead after the second round of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Thornhill Golf and Country Club. 

During play on Wednesday the second round was suspended due to inclement weather at 2:40 p.m. ET and resumed after a 1.5 hour delay at 4:10 p.m. ET.

After the brief delay, St-Germain returned to the course and carded birdies on three of her final six holes to close with a 2-under 34 back-nine. The Ottawa native currently sits at 4-under 140 for the championship one-stroke ahead of Team Canada Development Squad member Valérie Tanguay. 

“I think the delay got me to calm down a bit and just regroup and I think that was good for me,” St-Germain said. “These are probably my best tournament scores in a row so far.”

Tanguay of St-Hyacinthe, Que., narrowly trails St-Germain after a second-round 1-under 71, while Christina Foster of Concord, Ont. vaulted into third place after a second round 4-under 68. Foster’s second round is the lowest score of the championship and was highlighted by a back-nine 4-under 32.

Nova Scotia’s Allison Chandler of Chester sits in fourth at 1-over 145 after a 1-under 71, while Michelle Kim of Surrey, B.C. sits in fifth place at 2-over 146.

In the Inter-Provincial Team competition that is conducted over the first 36 holes of the championship Team Quebec and Team Ontario went to a hole-by-hole playoff after finishing the championship tied at 5-over 293. Team Quebec’s contingent of Tanguay, Ocèane Jacques of St-Gabriel de Valcartier and Annie Lacombe of Laval captured the title on the third playoff hole. The teams played the first hole continuously until a champion was decided.

In the Juvenile Division (16 and under), St-Germain continues to lead by five strokes over Chandler.
 
Starting times, post-round results, full field list, and live scoring are available here.

Thornhill, Ont. – Grace St-Germain and Valérie Tanguay co-lead at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship after firing 2-under 70’s at Thornhill Golf and Country Club. 

St-Germain of Ottawa, Ont. opened with a 2-under 34 front-nine and rolled in a closing birdie putt on the par-4 18th hole to finish in a tie for the lead.

“I started the first couple of holes and I was getting into a really good rhythm,” said St-Germain who also leads the Juvenile division. “I was like okay maybe you can go low today and I just tried to stay focused and it worked out.”

Playing in the final pairing of the day alongside her Team Canada Development Squad teammates, Tanguay of St-Hyacinthe, Que., ignited her round with an eagle on the par-5 8th hole.

“I think my eagle helped me a lot, I missed a couple of birdies but in general everything was good,” said Tanguay. “I missed some shots but I was able to get up and down and do better on the next hole to make par, my mental game was really there and I was calm and patient.”

The duo currently leads by two strokes over Michelle Kim of Surrey, B.C. who birdied two of her closing four holes to finish in third place at even-par. A trio of players share fourth place at 1-over par including Madeline Marck-Sherk of Ridgeway, Ont. and Team Canada Development Squad members Jaclyn Lee of Calgary and Victoria’s Naomi Ko. 

In the Inter-Provincial Team competition that is conducted over the first 36 holes of the championship, Team Alberta’s contingent of Lee, Calgary’s Sabrine Garrison and Cochrane’s Bria Jansen sit one-stroke ahead of Team Quebec at 5-over 149. Team Ontario and Team British Columbia narrowly trail Alberta in a tie for third at 7-over 151.

In the Juvenile Division (16 and under), St-Germain holds a three stroke at 2-under par over Marck-Sherk and Ko.
 
Starting times, post-round results, full field list, and live scoring are available here.