If the second round was an all-Italian affair yesterday, it is Canada that led the charge on moving day at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Ottawa, where the third round of play for the World Junior Girls Championship took place.
Vancouver product Tiffany Kong led the way for Team Canada One, who registered an aggregate score of 10-under 134, halving their deficit to 10 strokes back of tourney leaders Italy. The Italian trio of Caterina Don, Alessia Nobilio and Emilie Paltrinieri cooled off after their torrid opening rounds to notch a team score of one over par (145). They saw their comfortable 10-stroke lead dwindle to a single shot over the USA, who sit at 15 under thanks to a stellar third round of 9 under par (135).
Team Thailand also had a solid outing with a 139 and sit third in the team standings. Canada One is only three strokes back of the Thai team and within reach of their first World Junior Girls medal since 2014.
In the individual competition, Italy’s Nobilio scored a team-best 69 (-3) today to maintain her seven-stroke lead over American Zoe Campos, who shot a tournament-low 65 to grab a share of second with Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand, at 8 under for the championship.
“I did really well, yeah… my irons were pretty good, and I was making a lot of putts today,” said the soft-spoken California native Campos.
“Eighteen was my favourite hole today… I pushed my drive into the last right bunker, had about 130 in, and I hit 8-iron within 15 feet of the pin and made that put. Always nice to finish with a birdie,” concluded Campos.
Kong had the low round of the day going for a large portion of the contest, a superb score of 66 which featured five consecutive birdies to kick off her round.
“I started off really well, five birdies in a row and I kept the good play going, hit my pars. On the back nine, I thought it’s a new nine holes, so I just wanted to keep it steady since the back nine is very hard,” said the 17 year-old Kong, who moves into a tie for 8th.
Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame Ile Perrot, Que., leads the way for the Canadians through 54 holes in a tie for 5th at 4 under par. American Brooke Seay is 4th at 7 under.
Canada’s Emily Zhu (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Sarah Beqaj (Toronto, Ont.) and Lauren Kim (Surrey, B.C.) who make up Canada Two, are in 18th place, shooting a team score of 12 over in round three.
Team Canada is looking for its first medal since the team that featured recent CP Women’s Open champion Brooke Henderson capture bronze at the first ever World Junior Girls Championship in 2014.
The World Junior Girls Championship is conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with Golf Ontario and supported by the R&A and the International Golf Federation. Recognized as an ‘A’ ranked event by the World Amateur Golf Rankings, the World Junior Girls Championship is in its fifth edition.
Full results and tournament information can be consulted here.
Admission to the competition is free. Additional information regarding the fifth annual World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the competition’s website.
It was a foggy morning at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Ottawa, but when the skies cleared up and second round play got underway, there was nothing nebulous about Italy’s performance as Alessia Nobilio and Caterina Don both fired rounds of 6-under 66 to give Italy an 11-stroke advantage atop the team leaderboard at the 2018 World Junior Girls Championship.
Italy is now at 17 under for the championship, followed by Team USA in second place at 6 under and Thailand in third at 4 under. Rounding out the top five are France and Sweden, who share fourth place at 1 under par. France was the second-lowest scoring team today, with an aggregate second round score of 5 under par (139).
Nobilio, a 17 year-old Milan native, carded a second-straight 66 on Wednesday to take a comfortable seven-shot lead at 12 under par. A trio of golfers trail in second place with a tournament score of 132 (-5). American Brooke Seay and Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul both shot 1 under 71, while Italy’s Don, also 17, fired a sizzling 6 under score to match her teammate’s low round of the day.
Italian coach Enrico Trentin could not have been more pleased with his players’ efforts today.
“It was really a great day, with Alessia and Caterina both shooting minus six. We were really solid from tee to green,” said the caretaker of the Italian squad, who is just coming off a terrific performance at the World Amateur Team Championships in Ireland, finishing in 6th place.
“We had a great practice this morning and we really tried to understand the greens. Because they are so fast, it’s important to understand where to hit the second or third shots and be in a good position to putt for birdie,” reported Trentin.
It was a dominant performance across the board today for Italy, as both individual and team leaderboards are paced by the tricoloured flag on the eve of third round.
Canada One, featuring Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame Ile Perrot, Qué., Ellie Szeryk of London, Ont., and Tiffany Kong from Vancouver, B.C., dropped one spot to 7th place with a performance of 2 over today. Emily Zhu (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Sarah Beqaj (Toronto, Ont.) and Lauren Kim (Surrey, B.C.) who make up Canada Two, trail behind at 22 over par in 17th place. Dao is the top Canadian in the individual competition with an overall score of even par, good for T8.
Team Canada is looking for its first medal since capturing bronze at the first ever World Junior Girls in 2014.
The World Junior Girls Championship is conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with Golf Ontario and supported by the R&A and the International Golf Federation. Recognized as an ‘A’ ranked event by the World Amateur Golf Rankings, the World Junior Girls Championship is in its fifth edition.
Full results and tournament information can be consulted here.
Admission to the competition is free. Additional information regarding the fifth annual World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the competition’s website.
OTTAWA, Ont. — Under misty skies at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Ottawa, Italy’s Alessia Nobilio was off to the races in the first round, rifling a 6-under 66 to seize the lead in the 2018 World Junior Girls Championship.
Nobilio, who currently sits No. 22 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, took advantage of the windless conditions and went bogey free on Tuesday, notching six birdies along the way. She led the charge for Italy as they registered an aggregate score of 139, to sit one back of first round co-leaders Thailand and the United States.
“This is my third World Juniors, I’ve been here (Canada) three times now. I shot minus 6 today, so it was a very good round. My best ever was minus seven at the European Junior Championships this year,” said the 17-year-old from Milan.
“The greens were really fast here (at Camelot), really challenging. For tomorrow, I’ll just do my regular practice routine. I’m feeling happy, really good about my round, I played a solid game. I’m just going to play my game and do my best.”
In the team competition, the United States, propelled by solid outings from Brooke Seay (-4) and Zoe Campos (-2), sit in the lead at 6 under in a tie with Thailand. The Thai team followed their leader Atthaya Thitikul, who fired a 68 in the opening round to sit T2 with Seay in the individual competition. Campos is tied for 4th with Cecilie Nielsen from Denmark and another Thai, Kultida Pramphun, who are all at 2 under.
United States Team Captain Delia Nava was thrilled by her team’s performance in the first round. “We are very pleased with our result today. The girls stayed calm when they got in trouble and they all played well. Eighteen is a very tough finishing hole, it’s very tricky.”
Team USA do not intend to change anything heading into Wednesday’s second round. “We just have to play like we did today and we’ll have a good result.”
Canada One, featuring Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame Ile Perrot, Qué., Ellie Szeryk of London, Ont. and Tiffany Kong from Vancouver, B.C., share 6th place with Sweden at 2 over par. Emily Zhu (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Sarah Beqaj (Toronto, Ont.) and Lauren Kim (Surrey, B.C.) who make up Canada Two, trail behind at 15 over par in 18th place. Kong and Dao were the low scorers for Canada at 1 over par.
Team Canada is looking for its first medal since capturing bronze at the first ever World Junior Girls in 2014.
The World Junior Girls Championship is conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with Golf Ontario and supported by the R&A and the International Golf Federation. Recognized as an ‘A’ ranked event by the World Amateur Golf Rankings, the World Junior Girls Championship is in its fifth edition.
Full results and tournament information can be consulted here.
Admission to the competition is free. Additional information regarding the fifth annual World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the competition’s website
Adam Stanley/ Golf Canada
OTTAWA – Grace St-Germain knows exactly what the participants of the World Junior Girls Championship are about to go through.
St-Germain, part of Golf Canada’s national team program since 2014 and now starting her first season at the University of Arkansas (after a two-year stint at Daytona State College, where she was part of the NJCAA Women’s National Golf Championship-winning squad in May) made her debut at the World Junior Girls Championship in 2014 at Angus Glen Golf Club.
She paired with Brooke Henderson and Naomi Ko and the squad finished third.
It was her first time representing Canada on a golf stage, and says it was a moment she would never forget.
“It was so fun to meet all the girls from around the world, and being able to finish third alongside Brooke and Naomi is something I’ll keep in my heart forever,” says St-Germain, who is playing at Arkansas with a fellow World Junior Girls Championship competitor from Mexico.
St-Germain says being able to play in the World Junior Girls Championship solidified her desire to represent Canada while playing golf. As a Canadian, she’ll always fly the Canadian flag on the course. But to legitimately wear her country’s colours was a unique and exciting opportunity that she is eager to repeat.
The 20-year-old has been with Golf Canada’s national team program for four years. She had to unfortunately miss the CP Women’s Open in Regina, Sask. due to commitments at Arkansas, but did enjoy a successful summer season – capped off with a win at the Quebec Women’s Amateur in June.
She says the opportunities Golf Canada has put in front of her have been “unreal.”
“The first year I went to Australia, which was one of my ‘bucket list’ countries to visit. This summer we went to England and Ireland. Without Golf Canada I wouldn’t be who I am, for sure,” she says. “The opportunities I’ve got have been unparalleled.”
St-Germain is also a member at Camelot Golf and Country Club, the host layout for this year’s World Junior Girls Championship. She says the key to success for the participants this year will be to have a solid game plan and try to stick with it. She says there are a “bunch” of holes at Camelot that can cause headaches, and she says driving it straight will be key.
“I’m excited for the girls to come play this golf course because I know they’re going to love it,” she explains. “It’s beautiful and challenging and has great conditioning. I’m excited to hear what they think about it, and for them to be in my hometown.”
As St-Germain begins the next stage of her career in Arkansas (with 6:15 a.m. workouts, she says with a laugh and a typical college-student groan) she’s reflective in thinking back to what her time at the World Junior Girls Championship meant to her and her career.
She’s hopeful the girls who participate have as much fun as they can and just enjoy the moment.
“When I look back on the 2014 tournament I don’t often think about a specific shot or holes, but I remember the friendships I made and the people I still talk to this day,” she says. “The girls you see (at the World Junior Girls) are the girls you’re probably going to be playing with for a long time coming, so just make as many friends as you can and enjoy the week and the opportunity to represent your country.”
Learn more about the World Junior Girls Championship by visiting the championship website.
OTTAWA, Ont. — A well-accomplished field of competitors will take to Camelot Golf and Country Club from Sept. 11–14, for the fifth annual World Junior Girls Championship. In total, 57 athletes will represent 18 countries—including two teams from host nation Canada.
“With our partners, we are proud to offer a world-class event for girls of this age group, where there are fewer opportunities for international competitions,” said tournament director Dan Hyatt. “These girls are some of the best juniors in the world and we are thrilled to host them in a tournament where they can continue their growth and development.”
This year’s field is highlighted by 10 competitors ranked inside the World Golf Amateur Rankings (WAGR) top 100. The tournament’s top-ranked player, Atthaya Thitikul (No. 11), will represent Thailand in their first World Junior Girls appearance. Thitikul has won five separate titles in 2018, including Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship and The Queen Sirikit Cup.
Italy is the only country in the tournament to have all three team members ranked in WAGR’s top 100. Alessia Nobilio (No. 22) leads the team, aiming for another individual medal after capturing silver in 2017. The 16-year-old, who has seven top-five finishes this year, will be joined by 2016 bronze medallist Caterina Don (No. 69) and newcomer Emilie Paltrinieri (No. 78). The trio looks to give Italy their first team medal at the tournament.
The 2018 instalment of the event will see numerous players return as 19 members of the field have played in at least one World Junior Girls Championship, including both the 2017 silver medallist Nobilio (Italy) and bronze medallist Blanca Fernandez Garcia-Poggio (Spain), who look to become the first repeat medallists in tournament history.
138th ranked Fernandez Garcia-Poggio will lead the Spanish team as they aim to become the first team to defend their World Junior Girls team title after winning last year in the tournament’s first ever team playoff. Marina Escobar Domingo (No. 143) and Marta Garcia Llorca (No. 109) join the World Junior Girls veteran in the quest for gold.
Sweden will look to add a fourth team medal to their trophy case after earning one silver (2014) and two bronzes (2015 and 2017). As the only Swedish player returning to the championship, Maja Stark (No. 63) will be joined by rookies Ester Fägersten (No. 120) and Ingrid Lindblad (No. 180).
Last year, the United States fell short of defending their 2016 bronze medal, finishing one stroke behind Sweden. The American team will feature three new fresh faces—Brooke Seay (No. 101), Zoe Campos (No. 125) and Michaela Morard (No. 164)—as they look to recapture their first gold since they won the inaugural World Junior Girls team title in 2014.
With all of the returning teams and players, the World Junior Girls Championship is also pleased to welcome Scotland and Columbia, who will join Thailand as the three countries make their tournament debut in 2017. Columbia will send Isabella Gomez, Laura Alexandra Castillo Ordonez and Sofia Torres Villareal. The Scotland team will feature Hannah Darling, Louise Duncan and Carmen Griffiths.
The strong international field will join the six players chosen to represent Canada. Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame Ile Perrot, Que.), Ellie Szeryk (London, Ont.) and Tiffany Kong (Vancouver, B.C.) will form Canada One, while Emily Zhu (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Sarah Beqaj (Toronto, Ont.) and Lauren Kim (Surrey, B.C.) will make up Canada Two. Team Canada will be looking for their first medal since capturing bronze at the first ever World Junior Girls in 2014.
In 2017, the Spanish team fired a collective 4-under par (140) to erase an eight-stroke deficit, forcing a playoff with the Korean squad. Spain eventually came on top to win their first World Junior Girls Championship medal.
The World Junior Girls Championship is conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with Golf Ontario, and supported by the R&A and International Golf Federation. Recognized as an ‘A’ ranked event by the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), the World Junior Girls Championship will run for its fifth time.
Nestled in Ottawa’s east end, Camelot is no stranger to running Golf Canada championships. The venerable club has hosted the 2012 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, a Canadian Women’s Tour event, the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, as well as final qualifying for the 2017 CP Women’s Open.
Opening ceremonies for the championship take place on Sept. 10, followed by the first round on Tuesday, September 11. The tournament’s closing ceremonies will immediately follow the conclusion of play on Friday, Sept. 14.
Admission to the competition is free. Additional information regarding the fifth annual World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the competition’s website.
Adam Stanley/ Golf Canada
It’s been a summer of learning for Céleste Dao, and she hasn’t even been in school.
Dao, of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Québec (about 40 minutes from Montréal) has played golf this year in Japan, Mexico, and Ireland – to name a few, she’ll be heading to Argentina later this year, too – but she’s most looking forward to heading back to Canada.
Dao will be playing her third World Junior Girls Championship this fall at Camelot Golf and Country Club – 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa – and she says it’s the most fun experience she’s had. Although golf is such an individualistic game, she relishes the chance to represent her country and play as a group.
“I love team events,” she says. “It’s good to have different kinds of tournaments so we can see different pressure and different parts of our game. I’m really looking forward to that.”
Dao was also given an exemption into the CP Women’s Open in Regina, Sask. where she said her goal was to make the cut (she finished T140 at 8 over par).
Her win at the Mexican Junior Girls Championship in May – she won in a playoff after being six shots back of the lead going into the final round – gave her the momentum she needed to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open later that month. She says her experience from the major (she shot 83-80 to miss the cut, but did get in a practice round with both Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp) is going to be helpful as she tees it up in Canada’s national championship.
“I can manage my stress and now I know what it looks like. Before, I never knew. Now I have a little clue. I think I’m going to be better,” she says.
This is Dao’s first year on Team Canada after a tremendous 2017 campaign that saw her notch six victories across a wide spectrum of events including the Québec Women’s Amateur and the Québec Junior Girls.
She started to play golf when she was three years old, after her father showed her. She started hitting balls in her garage off a mat, and then got more serious a few years later – starting to play tournaments at age eight.
She says she loves the whole experience of being a part of Team Canada, but especially the travel.
The week before the CP Women’s Open Dao was in Northern Ireland playing the Girls’ British Open Amateur Championship (she was eliminated in the second round of match play), and she’ll represent Canada at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires in October.
Her favourite country, she says, has been Japan. But she says she started to enjoy Ireland the more she got to explore. “It’ll be a tie,” she says with a laugh.
But there’s no place like home.
Dao is eager to don the red-and-white at an event, the World Junior Girls Championship, she’s thoroughly enjoyed the last three years.
“I really enjoy that tournament. We play against so many international teams and we always have fun with the girls,” she explains. “I think we’re going to do great.”
Click here for more information on the World Junior Girls Championship.
The world’s top 18-and-under female junior golfers will head to Ottawa for the fifth edition of the World Junior Girls Championship from Sept. 11-14 at Camelot Golf and Country Club. As host nation, Canada will send two teams of three athletes to compete for the international title of World Junior Girls champion.
Representing Canada One will be Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame Ile Perrot, Que.), Ellie Szeryk (London, Ont.) and Tiffany Kong (Vancouver, B.C.), who are three of Canada’s top-ranked junior golfers at No. 317, 459 and 546, respectively, on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). All three recently competed in the 2018 CP Women’s Open at the Wascana Country Club in Regina, Sask.
This will be 17-year-old Dao’s third year representing Canada at the World Junior Girls. The Team Canada Development Squad rookie is having an extremely impressive season, adding to an already notable junior golf career. So far in 2018, she has recorded four victories – the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, Girls’ Provincial Junior Championship, U.S Women’s Open Qualifying – Cape Cod National and Mexican Junior Girls Championship – to lead the Junior Girls Order of Merit for the second consecutive year.
Szeryk, sister of Canada’s top-ranked amateur female golfer Maddie, has four top-five finishes in 2018 so far, including a win at the Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship. The 16-year-old Team Canada Development Squad rookie currently sits in third in the Junior Girls Order of Merit and will be competing in her second World Junior Girls.
Kong will also be competing in her second World Junior Girls – she represented Canada at the 2015 tournament hosted at The Marshes. The 17-year-old recently competed in the 2018 CP Women’s Open after qualifying as the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship’s low Canadian. With a win at the Ryan Moore Junior Championship and four top-ten finishes in 2018 under her belt, she currently sits fourth in the Junior Girls Order of Merit.
As the host country, Canada reserves the right to field two teams in the 63-player, 20-country competition. Canada Two will consist of Emily Zhu (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Sarah Beqaj (Toronto, Ont.) and Lauren Kim (Surrey, B.C.), who are ranked 1127, 1013 and 1066 respectively.
14-year-old Zhu is currently second in the Junior Girls Order of Merit. She has six top-ten finishes this year and competed in the 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, where she came in second and took home the juvenile title. Her last win came at the 2018 Golf Ontario Investors Group Junior Spring Classic in May.
Beqaj, 16, has top-ten finishes in three of the four events she competed in so far this year. Her best finish in 2018 was third at Golf Ontario’s Investors Group Junior Girls Championship, followed by her fifth place finish at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship. She currently sits twelfth on the Junior Girls Order of Merit.
Kim is the youngest of all the Canadian team members – she only recently turning 13 in August. The rookie junior golfer held the lead during the first round of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship before finishing the tournament in eleventh. She won her first event in 2017 at the MJT – Boston Pizza National Championship and has five other-top ten finishes, including second place at MJT – Odlum Brown Classic and a tie for fifth at the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship.
“These six athletes have been selected to represent Canada as a result of their tremendous season, hard work and commitment to the sport. Their accomplishments and selection is a result of the support and joint efforts of Provincial Golf Associations, home clubs, parents and athletes,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s chief sport officer. “It is a true honour to be selected to represent your country and we look forward to seeing this group proudly represent all of Canada as they learn and grow on the international stage.”
Matt Wilson (Golf Canada’s Women’s Development Squad Coach and Director of Next Generation Performance) will lead the two Team Canada squads for this competition with the support Reggie Millage (Golf Ontario Head Coach).
“Golf Ontario is excited to once again partner with Golf Canada to conduct this global championship at the historic Camelot Golf & Country Club,” said Mike Kelly, Golf Ontario executive director. “We are thankful for their membership and volunteer committees for all their hard work. We are thrilled for our athletes from Ontario who have been selected to represent Canada and wish them the best of luck.”
The World Junior Girls Championship is conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with Golf Ontario, and supported by the R&A and International Golf Federation. Recognized as an ‘A’ ranked event by the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), the World Junior Girls Championship will run for its fifth time.
Nestled in Ottawa’s east end, Camelot is no stranger to running Golf Canada championships. The venerable club has hosted the 2012 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, a Canadian Women’s Tour event, the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, as well as final qualifying for the 2017 CP Women’s Open.
Opening ceremonies for the championship take place on Sept. 10 followed by the first round on Tuesday, Sept. 11. The tournament’s closing ceremonies will immediately follow the conclusion of play on Friday, Sept. 14.
“It is an honour to host this prestigious event and we look forward to welcoming these players from across the globe to our nation’s capital,” said tournament director Dan Hyatt. “The course is in tremendous shape and our partners at Camelot Golf and Country Club as well as communities in the surrounding area have come together to make this a truly memorable event for our competitors.”
Admission to the competition is free. Additional information regarding the fifth annual World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the competition’s website.
Adam Stanley/ Golf Canada
Jennifer Chang has moved on to become a second-year member of the University of Southern California’s golf team, but her memories of participating in two World Junior Girls Championships remain fresh in her mind.
“This event is not like any other junior event,” said Chang. “The World Junior Girls is such an amazing event to play in and represent your country. I was lucky enough to compete in this event twice and so to have that opportunity to enjoy this with great teammates along with the captains makes it more special.“
Chang, of Cary, N.C., was named to the All Pac-12 First Team after her freshman year at USC. She was one of approximately 60 golfers who took on The Marshes Golf Club in Kanata (about 15 minutes west of downtown Ottawa) a year ago (finishing tied for 21st), and about 50 golfers who played at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in 2017 (where she finished runner-up).
This year the World Junior Girls Championships remains in Ottawa, and heads to Camelot Golf and Country Club in Cumberland, about 20 minutes east of downtown Ottawa.
There will be 63 golfers competing from 20 countries around the world, and in addition to the 72-hole team and individual golf competitions, there will be a celebration of the sport all week long.
The course is home to Golf Canada National Team member (and past World Junior Girls Championship participant) Grace St. Germain, and hosted the 2012 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, plus the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship and final qualifying for the 2017 CP Women’s Open.
This year’s World Junior Girls Championship runs from Sept. 9-14.
Greg Richardson is the General Manager of the club – established in 1991 – and he said Camelot would be leaning back to the set-up from the Men’s Amateur somewhat this fall.
However, the course underwent some “major” bunker work after that event and said those changes were very successful, which led to the course hosting a handful of other big-time events.
“It’s something different than what they’ve seen in the Ottawa area in the past,” said Richardson of his club. “It’s a bit of a different layout in terms of the front nine, presenting more as links-style… and then you move to the back nine and you get some elevated tees and elevated greens and some interesting layouts. There are different choices and risk/reward holes which will be a challenge for (the golfers) but also enjoyable.”
Richardson said his members have been thrilled at the opportunity to host some of the world’s best amateur golfers in a few weeks time.
About three years ago the members were presented with a strategic plan for the golf course moving forward, and part of that plan was to bring some of the best golfers in the world to experience what Camelot has to offer.
“If we’re going to be a championship golf course, then our definition of championship means we’re going to host championships,” said Richardson. “They’re excited about having them. There is a good volunteer base that is excited to come out and help. They enjoy seeing the course put in high esteem and have some of the country’s best – and in this case, the world’s best players – come to try to take the challenge on.”
Although Chang was a top amateur in the United States over the two years she participated in the World Junior Girls, it was still a unique opportunity for her to indeed test her mettle against some not-so-familiar faces.
“When competing in tournaments across the (U.S.) you run into the same people, but at the World Junior Girls there were so many unfamiliar faces, and to have the chance to meet people from different continents was unreal,” she said. “You get to learn about the different cultures and languages from the girls. I had such a phenomenal time playing in the World Junior Girls definitely wish I could go back.”
Chang said between the camaraderie and the experience overall has been beneficial for her as she moved into her collegiate career and then, hopefully, onwards to the LPGA Tour.
Camelot will be a difficult challenge this September, but Chang said the most important thing for the participants this year is to just enjoy themselves.
“As golfers we always want to perform our best anytime we are playing, but sometimes we forget that you have to have fun,” she said. “That’s what this tournament is all about: having a once in a lifetime experience where not many golfers have the chance to compete, and enjoying the time with your team and other players.”
Click here for more information on the World Junior Girls Championship.
Ottawa’s Camelot Golf & Country Club will open its fairways to elite talent from across the globe when it plays host to the World Junior Girls Championship from Sept. 9-14, 2018.
In addition to 72-hole team and individual golf competitions, the World Junior Girls Championship will be a celebration of the sport with a focus on developing the game. Prior to the tournament getting underway, the World Junior Girls Championship will host a coaching summit, a girl’s skill development clinic and a Junior-Amateur Event.
The opportunity to host the week-long event spurs a sense of pride for Camelot’s membership.
“We’re truly excited to be sharing our course with the top girls from around the world,” said Greg Richardson, Camelot’s general manager & chief operating officer. “We’re invested in the growth of the game at all levels and are our membership is proud to do our part in hosting world-class championships.”
The World Junior Girls Championship is conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with Golf Ontario, and supported by the R&A and International Golf Federation. Recognized as an ‘A’ ranked event by the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), the World Junior Girls Championship will run for its fifth time.
Nestled in Ottawa’s east end, Camelot is no stranger to running Golf Canada championships. The venerable club has hosted the 2012 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, a Canadian Women’s Tour event, the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, as well as final qualifying for the 2017 CP Women’s Open.
The 26-year-old club will provide an opportunity to showcase Canada’s capital to the world’s top 63 junior golfers from 20 countries across the globe.
“Being in the nation’s capital presents a lot of opportunities for visiting girls to explore, including museums, parliament buildings and embassies of their respective countries,” added Richardson. “We’re very proud to welcome competitors, coaches and spectators to Camelot and the great city of Ottawa.”
Many of the Canada’s top-ranked golfers have competed in the World Junior Girls Championship since its inception, including Team Canada Amateur Squad athlete and Camelot member, Grace St. Germain. LPGA superstar Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who currently sits at No. 14 in the Women’s World Golf Rankings, competed in the 2014 inaugural competition.
“It’s a great tournament, a great championship… To be able to compete against the best in the world and represent Canada is really a dream come true,” said Henderson at a CP Women’s Open press conference in August. “I’ve been able to do that since I started my career. I think the best thing is just to have fun, to enjoy it, to embrace everything and try to use it as a learning experience.”
In 2017, Spain completed a thrilling comeback to overcome an eight-stroke deficit in the final round, unseating the 54-hole leading Koreans in the first team playoff in championship history. Seo-yun Kwon salvaged redemption for the Korean trio, capturing medallist honours in the individual competition – also in the first extra hole.
Admission to the championship is complimentary all week.
Few could have predicted the wild finish that took place on Friday for the World Junior Girls Championship at The Marshes Golf Club.
In thrilling fashion, the Spanish team fired a collective 4-under par (140) to erase an eight-stroke deficit, forcing a playoff with the Korean squad. As light rain began to fall, both teams headed back to the par-4 18th in pairs to conduct the first playoff in World Junior Girls Championship history.
The Spaniards kept their foot on the gas, with two of the first three team members making birdie on the hole to put the trio at 2 under. The Korean team was then forced to hole out for eagle to continue the match, but their approach missed the green to the right.
“If I would not have made that putt, my teammates might not have been as motivated as they were,” said Elena Arias, the first Spanish team member to birdie the playoff. “I just hit the putt like the other times I had played the hole. It just looked so clear to me and went in but I was so nervous.”
Dimana Viudes followed in the second playoff group, capping her 3-under bogey-free round with a birdie of her own.
“It is like Elena said, her putt really gave me confidence because knowing that we already had a birdie was a great start,” said Viudes, who finished in fourth place individually. “I was very nervous but at the same time calm as well. I was just lucky enough to pull off the shot.”
The win marks the first World Junior Girls Championship medal for Team Spain, which is something not lost on the team’s coach.
“This is a dream come true. To beat a strong team like Korea is something else,” said Nacho Gervas, Team Spain coach. “They are so strong that at times you feel like you are playing for second place. I told them (Spain) they had the game to do well today and if we played our game you never know what can happen.”
Republic of Korea’s Seo-yun Kwon, the 54-hole leader, headed into the final round with a two-stroke advantage over Italy’s Alessia Nobilio. Kwon had built a clear advantage on the day before running into trouble on the par-5 14th with a triple-bogey.
Nobilio took advantage of Kwon’s mishap by making birdie on the 14th to briefly hold a one-stroke lead, until giving a stroke back on the next hole. The pair took scores of 9 under to the last hole, forcing another playoff to be commenced after the team event was decided.
With Korea losing the team event, Kwon was determined to come out on top. The 16-year-old missed the green on her approach but went up-and-down for par, beating out Nobilio who slipped with a bogey.
“At first I was angry with myself because I was leading by a few strokes and made one mistake,” said Kwon. “Even though I won the individual medal, I am a little disappointed in myself because if I had done a little more, we could have won the team championship so it is bitter sweet. This is my first win at an international tournament so right now I am so happy.”
Rounding out the team medallists was the trio from Sweden, who finished the tournament at 9 under par, five strokes shy of Spain and Korea. Spain’s Blanca Fernández took home the individual bronze medal, posting a final-round 71 to close the tournament at 7 under par.
Céleste Dao from Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que., finished as the low Canadian with a share of 24th place at 6 over for the tournament.
In 2018, the World Junior Girls Championship will return to the Ottawa area at Camelot Golf and Country Club next September.
Additional information and full results from the competition can be found here.
Photos from the fourth annual World Junior Girls Championsip can be viewed here.
