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He proves she belongs at world junior tourney

Local golfers take on the best in tournaments in San Diego and here in B.C.
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Kevin Kwon of Swan-e-Set Bay Golf and CC in Pitt Meadows lines up a putt in the opening round of the 2012 B.C. Junior Boys’ Championships in Osoyoos.

Muni He of Pitt Meadows is quickly making a name for herself on the world stage.

He fired an impressive one-under-par 71 on the final day of the Callaway World Junior Golf Championships in San Diego on Friday for a share of second place in the girls’ 13-to-14-year-old division.

He finished the three-round championship play at six-under, tied with Rose Huang of Honolulu and five strokes back of winner, Lilia Kha-Tu Vo of Fountain Valley, California.

He opened the tournament, played at the Country Club of  Rancho Bernardo, with a sizzling four-under-par 68 to sit atop the leader board. However, two consecutive rounds of one-under par were not enough to hold of the eventual winner Vo, who charged up the leader board in the second round, carding a blistering seven-under-par 65. He, sitting two strokes back going into the final round, was unable to make a move as Vo fired a four-under 68 to close out the tournament.

He finished as the top Canadian in the event, which features more than 1,200 participants representing 56 countries as well as 42 U.S. States. The tournament has seen past winners such as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els.

Closer to home, Kevin Kwon of Swan-e-Set Bay Resort and Country Club in Pitt Meadows couldn’t hold on to his third-round lead at the 2012 British Columbia Junior Boys’ Championship played at the Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club in Osoyoos and fell to a tie for third after firing a five-over-par 77 in Friday’s final round.

Kwon had led the tournament after Rounds 2 and 3, sitting at six-under and three strokes up on Matthew Broughton of Victoria. Broughton fired a final round of two-under 70 to take the championship. Kwon’s final round 77 also cost him a spot on Team B.C. that will play at the Canadian Junior Boys’ Championship at the Osprey Ridge Golf Club in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia on July 31 to Aug. 3.

Kwon fell to Chris Crisologo of Richmond in a playoff for the final spot on the team after the 16-year-old Richmond golfer nailed a 12-foot birdie on the first extra hole. Kwon, finishing in the Top 15, was granted an exemption into the Canadian championships.

Ryan Hunt of Pitt Meadows failed to make the cut after two rounds. Hunt opened with a 95 but showed great composure to bounce back with an impressive 78 on day two of the tourney.

On the girls side, Keanna Mason of Maple Ridge finished the 2012 B.C. Junior Girls’ Championship in a tie for fifth place, carding a nine-over-par for her four rounds of play. Anica Yoo of Port Coquitlam fired a final round 68 and overall -11 under to defeat Team Canada Development Squad member Taylor Kim by four strokes.

Mason finished one stroke out of a playoff for the third and final spot on Team B.C. that will represent the province at the Canadian Junior Girls’ Golf Championships in Calgary, July 31 to Aug. 3.

Four-time defending champion Gudmund Lindbjerg of Pitt Meadows has a share of the first-round lead at the  B.C. Senior Men’s Championships at the Nanaimo Golf Club.

Lindbjerg, seeking his fifth straight B.C. Seniors crown, fired a even-par 72 Monday.