Local golf club members were in the hunt as B.C. Golf closed out its championship season by presenting the bantam boys and girls trophies.
The 2016 British Columbia Golf Bantam Boys’ & Girls’ Championships were held at picturesque and often demanding Bowen Island Golf Club.
The nine-hole course provided plenty of challenges for the young competitors in the 14 and under competition.
Two Pitt Meadows GC players, Leo Harper of Burnaby and Ethan Posthumous of Coquitlam both had strong events, as Harper finished third with a plus one, 141, and Posthumous was tied for seventh with a plus 11 151.
On the girls side, Chaewon Baek, Swaneset Bay Resort member from Langley, finished third. Amy Ehlert of Maple Ridge tied for seventh. She plays out of Meadows Gardens.
Baek shot a plus 13, 153, and Ehlerg a plus 28, 168.
She was just one shot out of second place.
The boys and girls trophies went to Ilirian Zalli of Vancouver and Akari Hayashi of Victoria respectively.
The first round leader in the boy’s division Zalli, was a little more conservative in round two on the heels of his course record-setting 63 as he settled for a four-over 74 but it was still good enough for a three shot win over Markus Yiu, also from Vancouver.
Victoria’s Akari Hayashi rebounded from an opening round six-over 76 to record the only under par round in the tournament by the girls at one-under 69 and a seven-shot win over her closet competitor, Claire Lovan of Surrey.
Zalli said he, “Felt the pressure,” when playing partner/competitor Harper closed to within two shots on the front side after back-to-back birdies on holes even and eight.
Zalli’s cushion was somewhat restored when Harper bogied 10 and 11 while Zalli was able to par 10 and birdie 11 to get back to a comfortable 5-shot lead.
Still, things may have gotten a little tight around the collar for Zalli, who plays out of Richmond Country Club, when he double-bogied the par three 13th to let Harper back within three shots with five holes to play, including the reachable par five 16th.
Zalli playfully announced to his two competitors, Harper and Surrey’s Kyle Chang that, “I’m going to birdie this hole, whether you guys like it or not.”
He may have just barely cleared the ravine that guards the front of the hole but he smoothly got the ball up and down for the promised birdie result.
All the scores here.