Junior golf tour wraps up
John Kingdon captured the boys U19 overall points championship by the slimmest of margins Wednesday.
The 17-year-old Grimsby resident placed third on the final stop on the Niagara District Junior Golf Tour at Beechwood which was good enough to edge out Nathan Freure 683.75 points to 683.25 points for top spot.
Kingdon drained a put on the final hole to par the hole which placed him in a tie with Will Burleigh at 76.
“It was a great way to finish,” Kingdon said. “Honestly, I thought I had to win this tournament to pull out a win. It wasn’t really on my mind on the last putt. I just needed to make it to make it and save a little bit of pride for a 76.”
The overall points title was the first for the Sawmill golfer after “four or five” years on the tour.
“It feels pretty good,” he said. “It’s relieving to finally win a tour after a few years of not playing too well.”
Kingdon captured only one tour victory this season (Willodell) but finished consistently in the top five of most of the other events.
“I think I had more confidence and was hitting the ball OK this year,” he said. “I had a couple of hot rounds of putting so that kind of pulled some rounds together for me.”
The Blessed Trinity graduate is off to Humber College this fall where he will major in Professional Golf Management and also hopefully play for the school’s golf team.
“I’m trying out Tuesday for it,” he said. “I’m feeling good going into that with a little bit of extra confidence.”
Kingdon began playing competitively when he was 12.
“I always went to Sawmill with my dad and fell in love with the game then and always played,” he said.
He is eligible to play on the tour again next season.
“It’s phenomenal to have a local tour, especially with John (White) running it. He runs it great.”
Boys U19
Beechwood
1. Sammy Rootes, St. Catharines Golf & Country Club 73; 2. Kian Oelofse, Lookout Point Country Club 74; T3. Will Burleigh, Sawmill 76, T3. John Kingdon, Sawmill 76; 5. Blake Furtney, Sawmill 77; T6. Liam Kirk, Players Club – Hamilton 80, T6, Ryder Fletcher, Bridgewater Country Club 80, T6. Elliott Culp, St. Catharines Golf & Country Club 80, T6. Noah LeBrasseur, Cherry Hill Club 80, T6. Jack Ilskens, Lookout Point 80.
Overall Points
1. John Kingdon, Sawmill 683.75; 2. Nathan Freure, Players Club – Hamilton 683.25; 3. Andrew Burciul, Sawmill 678; 4. Will Burleigh, Sawmill 646; 5. Jack Ilskens, Lookout Point Country Club 622.5; Kian Oelofse, Lookout Point Country Club 605.5; 7. Noah LeBrasseur, Players Club – Ottawa 569.5; 8. Austin Ste. Croix, Twenty Valley Golf & Country Club 507.5; 9. Brennan Pisaric, Bridgewater Country Club 493.83; 10. Benjamin Morin, Bridgewater Country Club 476.
Kowalyshyn comes out on top
Sierra Kowalyshyn was a double winner Wednesday.
The 14-year-old Stoney Creek resident shot a career-best 73 to win both the final tour stop as well as the overall girls U19 points championship.
“I’m super happy,” Kowalyshyn said. “I’ve never been a tour champion before and I can’t wait to hopefully do it again next year.
“I had a record score today. It’s the best score I’ve ever shot in a tournament so I was really happy.”
Kowalyshyn, who is slated to attend Grade 9 at Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School in Hamilton next month, finished with 310 points, edging out fellow Sawmill golfer and defending champion Casey Kenney by just six points.
“I definitely set it (points championship) as a goal as I was second place last year so I was really hoping to try my best. I was working a lot in the winter so I was hoping my hard work would pay off,” she said.
She tried not to let the magnitude of the situation creep into her thoughts as she played her round.
“I definitely had that cross my mind but I was just trying to keep focused and try my best.”
Kowalyshyn pointed to her short game as her strength this season.
“My putting was really great and I had a lot of ups and downs with my sand wedge for par,” she said.
Kowalyshyn was introduced to golf by her father, Shawn Kowalyshyn, at a young age.
“I played my first tournament when I was five at US Kids and I’ve been working hard at it ever since.”
Kowalyshyn will now represent Sawmill in the junior girls division at the Champion of Champions, Oct. 7 at the St. Catharines Golf and Country Club.
“I’ve never been before so I’m super exciting see all these great girls play and just hopefully I play good and see what happens.”
Girls U19
Beechwood
1. Sierra Kowalyshyn, Sawmill 73; 2. Mikayla Lacey, Port Colborne Country Club 77; 3. Casey Kenney, Sawmill 90; 4, Edyn Sobie, Players Club – Mississauga West 99.
Overall Points
1. Sierra Kowalyshyn, Sawmill 310; 2. Casey Kenney, Sawmill 304; 3. Eden Sobie, Players Club – Mississauga West 215; 4. Mikayla Lacey, Port Colborne Country Club 211; 5. Stewart Grace, Sawmill 62; 6. McKinley Stewart, Sawmill 41.5.
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