ENFIELD, N.S. – Emma Zheng of Auckland, New Zealand and Cole Stewart of Fall River, N.S. both secured victories at the 2025 NextGen Atlantic Championship on Thursday to wrap up the 2025 NextGen season and lock up their places in next month’s national junior championships.  

Both Zheng and Stewart took the lead following Tuesday’s opening round and failed to give way to their closest chasers over the final 36 holes at Oakfield Golf & Country Club in Enfield, N.S. 

Zheng, the only international player to tee off in the NextGen Atlantic Championship this week, entered Thursday’s final round with a two-shot lead over Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver, B.C. With rounds of 70 and 74 behind her, the Kiwi found separation from Kwon in the early stages of her final round, stringing together birdies at the first, sixth and eighth holes to double her advantage to four strokes ahead of the more taxing back nine.  

Consecutive bogeys at Nos. nine and 10 sliced Zheng’s lead in half, though a timely string of par putts on holes 11, 12 and 13 helped to get back on track before a birdie at the par-4 14th got her back to two-under par. A final birdie at the 17th sealed the deal for Zheng while Kwon played her final four holes at three-over par to fall out of arms reach.  

The wire-to-wire victory marks Zheng’s fifth triumph of 2025, having claimed four other stroke-play events overseas to shoot up to 266th on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).  

As for Stewart, the win marks his first of 2025 and featured three-straight rounds of maturity and poise to help claim a three-stroke victory without ever trailing. Stewart opened the tournament with a five-under 67 to lead Ben Brown of Antigonish, N.S. by a single stroke heading into Wednesday. 

Soaring atop the leaderboard on the heels of a hot start became familiar territory for Stewart at the NextGen Ontario Championship that took place earlier this year at Black Bear Ridge Golf & Resort in Belleville, Ont. Then, Stewart bound a lonesome bogey in his opening round with five birdies to card a four-under 68, leading the tournament until a six-over 78 the next day dropped him out of contention.  

Two months later and in the final NextGen Championship of the 2025 season, Stewart built on opening rounds of 71 and 74 to ride his advantage into the final round. The Nova Scotian entered Thursday with a four-stroke lead and was able to navigate around a series of bogeys at Nos. eight, nine and 13 to claim his maiden title on the NextGen circuit by five strokes.  

“After NextGen Ontario I learned a lot,” said Stewart following his round Thursday. “I figured out that I needed a good-night sleep and not check the leaderboard every five minutes. It definitely helped a lot for this week. 

“My mindset was to not make any big numbers and play my game that I was playing the past two days,” he added. “I proved to myself that I can win big tournaments like this and have the game to pull off wins in these types of scenarios.”  

The victory for Stewart is layered by a different kind of excitement as well, having grown up playing in the Enfield community, specifically at Oakfield Golf & Country Club.  

Brett Shaw of Stratford, P.E.I. rallied from a three-over par start through his opening six holes on Thursday to climb within three shots of Stewart and claim his second runner-up finish in two tries at the NextGen Atlantic Championship.   

NextGen Atlantic Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Boys Championship 

*Top 6 qualify  

NextGen Atlantic Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Girls Championship 

*Top 6 plus ties qualify  

The conclusion of Thursday’s final round marks the end of the 2025 NextGen Championship season as the final participants in next month’s Canadian Junior Boys and Girls Championships round out. Twelve winners and many others that contended in this year’s NextGen Championship season will descend on Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B. August 11-15 and Club de golf Sainte-Marie in Sainte Marie, Que. August 12 – 16 for the Canadian Junior Boys Championship and Canadian Junior Girls Championship respectively.   

To view the final leaderboards from the 2025 NextGen Atlantic 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 2025 national junior championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.  

ENFIELD, N.S. – The NextGen Championship circuit embarks on its final stop with the playing of the 2025 NextGen Atlantic Championship at the Oakfield Golf & Country Club in Enfield, N.S. July 14-17.  

The 54-hole competition is the last opportunity for Canada’s junior talent to secure a spot in their respective national championship later this summer, with the top six Junior Boys as well as top six Junior Girls (Including ties) rounding out the list of players competing for Canada’s top junior golf championships. The Canadian Junior Boys Championship will take place August 11-15 at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B., while the Canadian Junior Girls Championship descends on the Club de golf Sainte-Marie in Sainte Marie, Que. August 12 – 16. 

89 Junior Boys and 26 Junior Girls will tee off at Oakfield Golf & Country Club on July 15 before the field is approximately trimmed down to the top 54 Junior Boys (including ties) and top 18 Junior Girls (including ties) after 36 holes. The final round will be contested on July 17, with a hole-by-hole playoff available to determine the first place finishers in both divisions or sixth place finisher in the Junior Boys division if positions are tied at the end of regulation.  

Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver, B.C. and Reid Hart of O’Leary, P.E.I. highlight the Junior Girls contingent in the final NextGen Championship of the season, with the former already securing her place at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship with a victory at the 2025 NextGen Western Championship earlier in the campaign. Hart will be vying for her maiden win on the circuit while positioned as the reigning P.E.I Junior Golfer of the year and a three-time winner on the Maple Leaf Junior Tour – Canada’s top junior circuit.  

Brett Shaw of Stratford, P.E.I. and Carter Lavigne of Moncton, N.B. are notable names competing in the Junior Boys division. Lavigne claimed the inaugural Canadian U15 Championship in 2024 while Shaw came close to winning his first-career NextGen Championship at last year’s NextGen Atlantic Championship and will be looking to avenge his playoff defeat to Bode Stephen of Kingston, Ont. Both Shaw and Hart will represent P.E.I at the 2025 Canada Games in front of a maritime crowd in St. John’s, Nfld.  

“Oakfield is excited to be hosting the 2025 NextGen Atlantic Championship,” commented Blehr MacKinley, Head Golf Professional at Oakfield Golf & Country Club. “Our club and membership are excited to welcome some of the top junior players from Atlantic Canada and Eastern Canada. Oakfield is primed and ready to provide a challenging test to all the competitors and we cannot wait for the championship to arrive.” 

Both a staple in the Enfield community and known as being one of the premier golf facilities throughout Atlantic Canada, the Oakfield Golf & Country Club has built its reputation on inclusivity and diversity for over 60 years.  

“This year’s championship holds particular significance for our club, as eight of our own junior members will be competing,” added Anne Balser, Manager of Golf Operations and Communications at the course. “The opportunity to compete in a Golf Canada championship on your home course is a rare and special opportunity. We couldn’t be more excited to see them represent their club, and province in this event.” 

Oakfield Golf & Country Club has hosted several notable events over the years, including the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship twice (1971, 1981) as well as several provincial championships and the Halifax Pro-Am in 2019.  

What started with five holes in 1962 has since grown into a championship caliber golf course able to provide a fair and challenging test to players of all skills levels. Greenside bunkers and numerous undulated greens forces intense precision on players’ approach shots, parlaying its fidelity with accuracy off the tee to navigate the towering trees squeezing many of the property’s fairways.  

To keep track of the leaderboards and learn more information about the 2025 NextGen Atlantic 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 2025 national junior championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.  

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   

NextGen Quebec Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Girls Championship  

*Top 6 plus ties qualify   

*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.     

MANOTICK, Ont. – The NextGen Championship season returns to eastern Ontario July 2-5 for the playing of the 2025 NextGen Quebec Championship at Rideau View Golf Club in Manotick, Ont.  

The 54-hole event is the second last stop on the 2025 NextGen circuit and features 156 of the nation’s best junior players – 114 Junior Boys and 42 Junior Girls – battle for a limited number of spots in their respective national championships later this summer.  

The field will be trimmed to the top 51 Junior Boys and top 19 Junior Girls on Friday before the final round gets underway on Saturday and a champion is crowned.   

The top eight finishers – including the low medalist – in the Junior Boys division will punch their ticket to the Canadian Junior Boys Championship set for August 11-15 at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B. As for the Junior Girls division, the top eight players – including ties – following Saturday’s final round will earn exemption into this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship taking place August 12 – 16 at Club de golf Sainte-Marie in Sainte Marie, Que. 

Henry Dao of Laprairie, Que. will look to keep the NextGen Quebec Championship title in his possession for a third-straight year after winning the tournament in 2022 and 2023. Bode Stephen of Kingston, Ont. will look to rival Dao’s bid at broadening his tournament dominance and use his winning experience at last year’s NextGen Atlantic Championship to do so as another notable name competing this week in the Junior Boys division.  

Kate Guo of Knowlton, Que. and Amelia McFarlane of Carleton Place, Ont. will headline the field competing in the Junior Girls Division this week, with both players coming off T6 performances at last season’s event in Joly, Que. 

“Rideau View Golf Club has a long history of supporting junior golf and is proud to host the 2025 NextGen Quebec Championship from July 2 to July 5.  Since its opening in 1957, our golf club has fostered an inclusive and relaxed atmosphere while also embracing the challenge of competitive golf.  We are excited to welcome these elite junior golfers,” said Tournament Chair, Dan Warren.  

What originated as nine holes in 1957 before its completion with a back nine in 1962, the Rideau View Golf Club has since become a prominent escape for those who descend the 180-plus acres of its undulating property. Burrowed away from neighborhoods and rowdy traffic, the private course cements its communal value by being a leader in its field for equality as well as social and environmental responsibility.  

Featuring six sets of tee boxes and a yardage playing more than 6,500 yards, Rideau View Golf Club presents a fair yet challenging experience for players of all abilities. The course plays its best defence by physically challenging players’ endurance and length off the tee, most notably on two of the final three holes on its back nine. Both the 16th and 18th offer the greatest length on the property and combine for a 1,137-yard test for players looking to finish their rounds in red figures.  

“It is a parkland style course with generous fairways,” continued Warren. “It challenges players with its extensive bunkering, small greens and length of its par four holes.  A well-played approach shot is often required to carry green side bunkers.” 

The club also boasts a newly renovated practice facility which includes a 10,000 square foot putting green, as well as a short-range area featuring a trio of greens along with two bunkers.  

To follow the live leaderboard of the NextGen Quebec Championship throughout the week, as well as find tee times and additional tournament information, 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 2025 national junior championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf. 

Chase Lassman fired a one-under 71 to claim his second NextGen Championship while Zhang stitched together a bogey-free 66 to win NextGen Prairie Championship. 

WARMAN, Sask. – Chase Lassman of Parkland County, Alta. picked up his second win of the month while Maggie Zhang of Richmond, B.C. fired a six-under 66 in her final round to each claim titles in the Junior Boys and Junior Girls division respectively at the 2025 NextGen Prairie Championship.  

Both Lassman and Zhang kicked off their final round at The Legends Golf Club in Warman, Sask. atop the leaderboards and didn’t take long to find separation from their closest chasers on Sunday.  

Zhang, who started her morning with a three-stroke lead over 2025 NextGen Western Championship winner Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver, B.C., blitzed the front nine to make the turn at six-under par and lead Kwon by eight strokes.  

Birdies at the first, sixth and seventh-holes highlighted Zhang’s hot start to pull away from the pack despite her success on that stretch of the golf course helping carve out her advantage leading up to Sunday’s final round. Zhang played the front nine of The Legends Golf Club at seven-under par throughout the week, a score collectively better than any other player in the field over that stretch.  

Zhang added back-to-back birdies at holes 12 and 13 before entering the clubhouse with another birdie at the 17th to put the finishing touches on a bogey-free 66 and claim her maiden win on the NextGen Championship series.  

“I’m very happy to be the champion of this event and very glad to see that all my hard worked paid off,” commented Zhang following her win Sunday. “The front nine is easier than the back nine, the tee shots gave me more space, the fairways were wider, so I didn’t have to worry about going in the fescue,” she added.   

Teeing off later in the morning with a share of the lead in the Junior Boys division, Lassman rallied around a hot start to take his second title of the month after coming out victorious in a three-player playoff at the NextGen Western Championship in Entwistle, Alta. two weeks ago.  

Lassman grabbed sole possession of the lead on Sunday after rolling in birdie putts on the first, fifth and sixth holes to get nine-under par.  

Consecutive bogeys on 14 and 15 stalled his momentum but failed to bump him from the top spot. Lassman finished the final three holes of his round at even par while his closest chaser, reigning NextGen Prairie Championship winner Ryan Mosher of Saskatoon, Sask., played his final six holes at three-over par to finish his title defence three strokes off the pace.  

“I’m a preserver,” commented Lassman on what he learned of himself after his winning form in the month of June. “I learned that I can compete at the national level day in and day out with my B game and with my A game,” he added. Lassman believes the playoff victory at Trestle Creek Golf Resort earlier in the month boosted his confidence and equipped him with the same trait he credited to helping put the finishing touches on his win Sunday at the NextGen Prairie.  

Lassman fired rounds of 70, 68 and 71 to get his hands on another NextGen Championship, while Zhang negated an opening-round 74 with rounds of 67 and 66 to claim her title. Both will compete in the 2025 Canadian U15 Championship set for August 27-29 at Pitt Meadows Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, B.C., as well as their respective Junior Championships later this summer.  

NextGen Prairie Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Boys Championship 

*Top 6 qualify  

NextGen Prairie Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Girls Championship 

*Top 6 plus ties qualify  

With two more stops left on the circuit, the 2025 NextGen Championship season will roll into eastern Ontario for the playing of the 2025 NextGen Quebec Championship set to take place July 3-5 at the Rideau View Golf Club in Manotick, Ont. The 54-hole event will be preceded by a practice round on Wednesday, July 2 and will crown a winner on Saturday, July 5.  

To view the final leaderboards from the 2025 NextGen Prairie 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.    

WARMAN, Sask. – The Legends Golf Club in Warman, Sask. gears up to host its first-ever Golf Canada event for the playing of the 2025 NextGen Prairie Championship, June 12-15.

The NextGen Championship series returns to the province for the first time since 2023 and welcomes 120 of western Canada’s best Junior golfers – 90 Junior Boys and 30 Junior Girls – for 54 holes of competition. The field will be reduced to approximately the top 52 individuals in the Junior Boys division and top 17 players in the Junior Girls division after 36 holes, with the final round taking centre stage on Sunday, June 15.

Similarly to previous stops on the NextGen Championship circuit this season, exemptions into each of the Canadian Junior Championships will be awarded to the tournament’s top finishers. In the Junior Boys Division, the top six players, including the low medalist following the conclusion of the final round, will earn exemptions into the Canadian Junior Boys Championship set for August 11-15 at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B.

In the Junior Girls division, the top six finishers from the event, including ties, will help round out the field at this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship taking place August 12 – 16 at Club de golf Sainte-Marie in Sainte Marie, Que. The top two players in both divisions will also earn exemptions into the 2025 Canadian U15 Championship set for August 27-29 at Pitt Meadows Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, B.C.

Notably, the event will also serve as one of three qualifiers to make up Team Saskatchewan for the Canadian Summer Games set to take place August 18-22 at Bally Haly Country Club in St. John’s, N.L. A pair male and female players above the age of 19 will each qualify for the event.

Playing in his home province, Ryan Mosher of Saskatoon, Sask. will look to successfully defend his title after definitively taking the event by three strokes in 2024. The NextGen Prairie Championship will be Mosher’s second appearance of the Championship season, having played in the NextGen Western Championship at Trestle Creek Golf & Resort earlier this month.

Chase Lassman of Parkland County, Alta., Lucas Sturgeon of Saskatoon, Sask., and Ryan Badger of Edmonton, Alta. will also be in the NextGen Prairie Championship field just weeks after competing against one another in a playoff to decide the NextGen Western Championship.

Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver, B.C. will headline the Junior Girls’ division this week and will be vying for her second NextGen Championship victory this month after claiming her maiden title at Trestle Creek Golf & Resort.

“We are so proud and excited to welcome the NextGen Prairie Championship to the Legends Golf Club – partnering with Golf Canada is proving to be a wonderful opportunity,” said Davidson Matyczuk, head golf professional, Legends Golf Club. “The Legends has been a strong supporter of junior golf in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and with this Championship, we are now able to extend that support to the national stage. We are certainly looking forward to welcoming everyone to Warman and the Legends Golf Club this week.”

The Legends Golf Club offers a unique caveat of being a links-style course – the first layout of its kind on the 2025 Championship season. Operating since 2011, the course has become one of the premier golf experiences in Saskatchewan and has hosted provincial amateur championships at the junior, mid-amateur and professional level.

Though the course’s wide and undulating fairways offer a sense of comfort for players off the tee, thick patches of fescue strenuously defend the property and force players to rethink their club choices on every hole.

“Competitors should expect a fair but challenging test of their skills, course management and mental toughness to be successful,” continued Matyczuk. Bunkers at nearly every hole location and water lurking on 10 of the 18 holes makes approaching the green a challenge, pairing up formidably with a series of tight pin locations to challenge the short game of those who dare to be aggressive at The Legends Golf Club.

“Historically having success in a Next Gen Championship will open up new opportunities and provides validation that they can compete amongst the best in Canada. We are confident that our links-style layout will identify the top performers from the field of 30 Girls and 90 Boys as they compete for not only the individual titles, but for exemptions into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship and the Canadian Junior Boys Championship later this summer.”

To follow the live leaderboard of the NextGen Prairie Championship throughout the week, 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 2025 national junior championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.

Entwistle, Alta. – Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver, B.C. and Chase Lassman of Parkland County, Alta. each claimed the NextGen Western Championship on Sunday at Trestle Creek Golf Resort in Entwistle, Alta.  

Finishing his second round in a tie for eighth place at one-under par, Lassman finished the tournament at even-par and emerged as the winner after a three-player playoff was required as the 36-hole leader, Ryan Badger of Edmonton, Alta. dropped down the leaderboard to bring the rest of his chasers into contention.  

“I just controlled what I could control and that’s my positivity and mental outlook on everything,” commented Lassman moments after draining a six-foot par putt to win the tournament. “The pressure is what you live for.” 

Kwon – who led the tournament since Friday afternoon – followed up her opening round score of 71 with a 70 on Saturday and 74 on Sunday to soundly take her maiden win in the NextGen Championship series as a wire-to-wire victory.  

Kwon teed off in a trio of NextGen Championships over the last year with her most recent result, a T9 finish at the NextGen Pacific Championship in May, adding to a pair of previous top ten finishes on the circuit.  

Hurdles in the final round ultimately left Kwon winless against the top junior talents in the country, however, pairing her 36-hole success along with a pair of birdies on Nos. eight, 11 and 14 on Sunday allowed her to break through and clinch victory at Trestle Creek Golf Resort.  

“I feel like I improved my game a lot,” commented Kwon following her round. “I just focused on what I needed to do because focusing on the other players wasn’t going to help my round,” she added.  

Kwon entered the final round seven strokes ahead of her nearest competitor and in prime position to take the title. She finished the tournament at one-under par and two strokes ahead of Aleah Shields-Rodipe of Conroe, Texas, with bogeys on her final two holes shrinking her favorable lead. 

Similarly to the Junior Girls division, 36-hole leader, Badger, experienced his multi-shot lead disappear on a course playing nearly three stokes harder than it was on Saturday. Badger entered Sunday’s final round three strokes ahead of Ryan Mosher of Saskatoon, Sask. but endured a tumultuous start to his afternoon with bogeys at the second and fifth holes to relinquish some ground to the field.   

Steadying himself to make the turn at one-over par, Badger unraveled at the 10th hole to begin his plunge into the crowded leaderboard on his heels. Badger played hole nos. 10 through14 at six-over par in a decisive stretch that featured a triple-bogey on the 14th to drop him into a four-way tie for the lead at even par.  

Mosher’s pair of double bogeys at holes 16 and 17 plucked him out of contention to create a three-way tie for the top spot and an eventual playoff on the 16th hole to decide the winner. Badger, Lassman and Lucas Sturgeon of Saskatoon, Sask. each landed their tee shot on the par-three 16th green to open the playoff. The trio failed to make birdie, while Lassman separated himself as the winner with a par putt to claim the title.  

NextGen Western Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Girls Championship  

*Top 8 plus ties qualify  

NextGen Western Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Boys Championship  

*Top 8 plus qualify – won in playoff 

The NextGen Championship schedule continues to roll through western Canada with its next stop at The Legends Golf Club in Warman, Sask. for the playing of the NextGen Prairie Championship. The tournament will run June 13 – June 15 with a practice round preceding the action on June 12.  

For the final leaderboards from the NextGen Western 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.    

The NextGen Championship season resumes on Friday, May 30 at Trestle Creek Golf Resort in Entwistle, Alta. for the playing of the NextGen Western Championship.

147 junior golfers – 116 Junior Boys and 31 Junior Girls – will tee off on Friday and look to punch their ticket to their respective junior championships later this summer. The 54-hole event will be preceded with a practice round on Thursday, May 29 before play wraps up on Sunday, June 1.

The field will be reduced to approximately the top 53 Junior Boys and top 17 Junior Girls, including ties, after 36 holes. Members of the Junior Boys division that conclude the final round placed within the top eight of the leaderboard will earn exemption into the 2025 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO, set for August 12-15, at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B.

In the Junior Girls division, the top eight finishers, including ties, will earn exemptions into the field for the playing of the 2025 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO, August 13-16, at Sainte-Marie Club de golf in Sainte-Marie, Que.

Notable players from western Canada will compete in the event, including Christian Flick of Heritage Pointe, Alta. and Ryan Mosher of Saskatoon, Sask. Flick, a three-time participant, will look to secure his first victory at the NextGen Western Championship after finishing in the top ten three times, including a runner-up finish in 2022. His ambition will be rivaled by Mosher, a proven winner on the circuit and the reigning NextGen Prairie Champion.

Designed by golf architect and fellow Albertan Brad Dupuis, Trestle Creek Golf Resort offers 27 holes of championship-level golf split across a trio of distinctive nines. Opening in 2012, the course has undergone several renovations to expand its unique terrain, spanning across 600 acres of land to include creeks, lakes, forests and hills into its initial design.

“We are extremely excited to host this year’s NextGen Western Championship,” commented Art New – the Head Golf Professional at Trestle Creek Golf Resort. “We feel that the players are really going to enjoy the Brad Dupuis design which encompasses the natural beauty of the terrain. It will pose a challenge to these up-and-coming future stars, and we are quite certain they will enjoy it.”

Trestle Creek Golf Resort has become much greater than a picturesque, affordable and challenging golf hub since its inception and presently surrounds its fairways with resort lots, a sport and water park and a recreation centre to make the property bountiful of outdoor experiences. The course plays its best defense as players get closer to each of the holes, with undulating greens challenging the field’s best putting strokes and forcing players to dial in their short game for the occasion.

“The golf course is fairly generous off the tee,” added New, who believes the strong winds that the property exhibits can also make for a challenge come the final round. “This course is all about your misses approaching the greens. Miss on the correct side depending on pin placement and you can recover. Miss on the wrong side and getting up and down will be a tough challenge.”

To follow the live leaderboard of the NextGen Western Championship throughout the week, 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 2025 national junior championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.

Belleville, Ont., – NextGen Team Canada member Nobelle Park of Oakville, Ont. secured a come-from-behind victory while Eric Zhao of North York, Ont. went on to win by four strokes on Saturday to each claim the NextGen Ontario Championship at Black Bear Ridge Golf & Resort in Belleville, Ont.  

Playing 54 holes at even par helped keep Park in contention throughout, and leading up to Saturday’s final round. Starting the day in a tie for second and just a stroke behind solo leader Maggie Zhang of Richmond, B.C., the ten-time winner in 2024 birdied the seventh to stay within striking distance and match Zhang’s steady start to her round.  

Struggling to find the elusive birdie to bring her on level ground with Zhang atop the leaderboards, Park’s scoring pursuit took a major blow after her approach shot went long of the tenth green and forced her to come away with a double bogey on the par-four.  

“Making the double was really sad because I flew the green, it wasn’t a good play,” commented Park on her lone blunder of the afternoon. “I was only three strokes back, it’s not like I was a ton back and we still had a whole bunch of holes still to play, so I knew I could make a comeback somehow,” she added.  

Fortunately for Park, she wasn’t the only one to card a costly six on her back nine, with Zhang walking off the 14th hole with a double bogey of her own but still leading by one. Her advantage continued to dwindle over the final four holes, however, heightening in the closing stages of her round after bogeying the 15th and 17th to tumble out of the lead and trail Park by a stroke.  

With the tournament lead narrowly in her favour, Park avoided another mistake after her setback at the tenth, stringing together five consecutive pars and collecting just her second birdie of the round on the final hole to secure a two-stroke win over Zhang and claim the NextGen Ontario title. She had finished in a tie for third a year ago.  

“[The win] helps build my confidence, especially early in the season,” said Park. “I know I can win and score well, so going forward I’ll use this as momentum into another good season.” 

In the Junior Boys division, Zhao, who carded consecutive rounds of 70 to position himself in a tie for first place on Saturday, rapidly reeled in on the tournament’s top spot with birdies at the first and third to get to six-under par.  

Aided by a slew of his competitors falling out of contention for the title, Zhao was able to put his hot start into gear and add back-to-back birdies at holes seven and eight to raise his early lead to four strokes.  

His dominance on the front nine over the final 36 holes played a vital role in securing him victory on Saturday. He played the tamer portion of the property at a combined eight-under-par to lap the rest of the field and seize control of the tournament.  

“A lot of easy holes in the front, especially seven, I knew I had good opportunities to birdie those holes, so I just stayed patient and let my game take advantage of those shots,” said Zhao. 

The day’s hottest hitter put the finishing touches on a round of 67 with birdies on the 10th – playing as the hardest hole on the property – and 18th to kickstart the procession on his maiden win in the NextGen Championship series.  

“It gives me a lot of confidence,” said Zhao following his round. “I haven’t won in a while, so it feels really great just getting back and knowing that I’m able to compete with the rest of the players.” 

NextGen Ontario Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Boys Championship 

*Top 8 qualify  

NextGen Ontario Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Girls Championship 

*Top 8 plus ties qualify 

The 2025 NextGen Championship season resumes on Friday, May 30 for the playing of the NextGen Western Championship at Trestle Creek Golf Resort in Entwistle, Alta. The 54-hole event will run until Sunday, June 1 where a winner will be crowned and exemptions for respective national championships will be awarded.  

For the final leaderboards from the NextGen Ontario 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.   

156 of Canada’s top junior golfers to compete over 54 holes in Belleville with exemptions into the Canadian Junior Boys and Girls Championships up for grabs 

The road to the 2025 national junior championships continues with the NextGen Ontario Championship set to kick off on Thursday, May 8 at Black Bear Ridge Golf & Resort in Belleville, Ont.  

156 players – 111 boys and 45 girls – will make up the starting field and have the option of participating in a practice round ahead of the tournament on Wednesday, May 7. The 54-hole stroke play event will get started on Thursday and run until Saturday, May 10 – where the field will be reduced to approximately 70 players. The top eight players in the Junior Boys division will earn exemptions into the 2025 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO, taking place August 12-15, at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B. The top eight players (including ties) in the Junior Girls division will earn exemptions into the 2025 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO, August 13-16, at Sainte-Marie Club de golf in Sainte-Marie, Que. If a tie for eighth place in the Junior Boys division occurs, appropriate players will enter a playoff to determine the tournament’s final exemption.  

Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. carded rounds of 67 and 70 through his final 36 holes to clinch last season’s NextGen Ontario Championship at Firerock Golf Club in Komoka, Ont., and will begin his title defence on Thursday as the lone NextGen Team Canada member in the Junior Boys division. Bode Stephen of Kingston, Ont., who took home the NextGen Atlantic Championship last summer in a playoff will also compete in the Junior Boys division. 

Team Canada NextGen member Nobelle Park of Oakville, Ont. highlights the field from the Junior Girls division competing in Belleville. Park enjoyed a successful 2024 campaign, with 10 wins that included the top spot of the podium at the Canadian U15 National Championship last August at the Elmira Golf Club in Elmira, Ont. 

Opening its doors in 2005, Black Bear Ridge Golf Course has hosted professional championships on the PGA Tour Canada and several provincial amateur events including the 101st playing of Golf Ontario’s Men’s Amateur Championship in 2023. Originally envisioned to be the home for his family hunting lodge, builder and designer Brian Magee was encouraged to transform the land’s rolling acreage into a golf hotbed by 18-time major champion and family friend, Jack Nicklaus.  

“Black Bear Ridge Golf & Resort is honoured to host the NextGen Ontario Championship as part of our ongoing commitment to supporting junior golf and nurturing the next generation of Canadian talent,” said Cale Flair, Vice President of Black Bear Golf & Resort. “We’re proud to welcome these elite young players to experience everything that makes Black Bear Ridge special—from our championship-calibre layout to the warm, inclusive atmosphere our guests, members, and team help create.” 

Featuring a 628-yard par-5 and a terrain exceeding 5,100 yards in length, Black Bear Ridge demands length from players while rewarding the longest and most patient hitters able to navigate the neighboring bunkers and hazards on selective greens. Combining sport with outdoor recreation and luxury living options, the course provides an exceptional test of golf while serving to restore and inspire its guests on and off the tee box.  

“Our beautiful parkland layout with a tighter tree-lined front nine and more open back nine, with ample elevation changes and challenging water features, demands thoughtful strategy and discipline. Players will need to bring precision off the tee, a sharp short game, and steady composure across all three days to find success here. We’ve seen how Black Bear Ridge shapes strong, competitive golfers—and we’re excited to see who rises to the occasion this week,” added Flair.  

To follow the live leaderboard of the NextGen Ontario Championship, 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 2025 national junior championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.