Brantford, ON – While the rain held off for the final round of competition at the Walter Gretzky Municipal Golf Course, players endured 18-holes of humidity and excessive heat in the battle for their name on the W.D. Randolph Millage Trophy. In the early 90s, Randy Millage started the Junior Spring Classic events to showcase the best players in Ontario. Initially, an invitation-only event taking the top 40 boys and top 20 girls in the previous year’s Order of Merit, the Spring Classic gave them an opportunity to get a jump on the competition south of the border.
Maintaining the lead through afternoon temperatures near 31 degrees and a humidex of 40, the low round score of the day and champion of the 2021 Ontario Junior (U19) Girls’ Spring Classic is Lauren Zaretsky (Ladies’ GC of Toronto/ Maple Downs G&CC). With a final score of 7-under (209), Zaretsky played skillfully to put her 10-strokes ahead of silver finalist, Alessandra Nagayo (Public Player). Climbing twelve positions in round two, Nagayo had another good showing of 72 to push her ahead of Ashley Lafontaine (Royal Ottawa GC). In round one, Lafontaine teed off in less than 24-hours following her runner-up win of the 2021 Ontario Women’s Match Play Championship, and was able to climb the leaderboard to capture bronze.
During her award speech, Zaretsky respectfully dedicated the win to her grandparents. “I’d like to dedicate this win to my grandparents, especially my grandfather who is fighting cancer. He is my biggest supporter and motivator to keep working hard and to never give up without a fight.” After three rounds of competition, Zaretsky felt that “the course was in great shape. It was a little windy the second day, but overall, loved the course. My game was in good shape, as I was driving the ball well and putting good besides a few short game errors. I wasn’t really paying attention to the lead, I was just really in the moment to finish well.”
With the modified championship schedule, an Ontario Juvenile (U17) Girls’ Champion was awarded in addition. Michelle Xing finished the tournament with a score of 222, to land her the 2021 Ontario Juvenile Girls’ Champion title. Low rounds of the three qualifier events, Shaunna Liu (Station Creek GC), Zhana Navato-Brethour (Weston G&CC), and Joline Truong (Trafalgar G&CC), were also recognized.
Golf Ontario would like to thank the players, staff, and volunteers for their support of the Ontario Junior (U19) Girls’ Spring Classic Championship. To Walter Gretzky Municipal Golf Course, City of Brantford, Jeff Moore (Business Manager of Golf Operations), and all their hard-working staff, thank you for being gracious hosts on such a well-conditioned course. A big thank you to the volunteers, as you are extremely valuable and we appreciate the time you take out of your week to assist. Lastly, a huge thank you to our sponsors and partners; Adidas, Taylor Made, Golf Talk Canada, Play Golf Myrtle Beach, Humber College, HUB International, BioSteel, Golf Genius, Modern Golf, Dormie, Durham Artificial Grass, Foresight Sports Canada, Baka, Nikon, Solo Golf, and Sport Travel. We are grateful for your continued support.
To view the leaderboards from the 2021 Ontario Junior (U19) Girls’ Spring Classic Championship, visit our Golf Genius page. For media coverage, please visit the Golf Ontario Facebook page to view our photo albums.
Coverage Continues at Shelburne Golf & Country Club
Round 1 of the Ontario Junior (U19) Boys’ Spring Classic
Shelburne, ON – Warm winds welcomed players to the opening round of the Junior Boys Spring Classic at the historic Shelburne Golf & Country Club. Spirits were high as both the temperature and competition heated up quickly on day one, where nine players shot under par.
Taking the early lead is Team Ontario member Ben MacLean (Cherry Hill Club), with a stellar bogey free 6-under (65). Following closely in second with a strong five-under is Justin Matthews (Bigwin Island Golf Club) after two eagles for a round of 66. Tied for third at four-under apiece is Andre Zhu (National Pines Golf Club) and Team Ontario athlete, Ryan Somerville (Summit Golf & Country Club), both firing impressive 4-under (67) rounds.
Players to keep an eye on heading into round two of the Junior Boys Spring Classic include: Isaiah Ellis (Lookout Point Country Club), Isaiah Ibit (Greyhawk Golf Club) and Team Ontario member Owen Kim (Blue Springs Golf Club), who are only a few behind the leaders. Also sitting under par is Zachary Smith (Brampton Golf Club) and Team Ontario player Ellis Kinnaird (Mississippi Golf Club)
Tee times start for Round 2 on Tuesday, June 29th at 7:30 a.m. Leaderboard information, pairings, and tee times can be found on our Golf Genius page. For media coverage of the Ontario Junior (U19) Boys’ Spring Classic, please visit the Golf Ontario Facebook page to view our photo albums.
About the Junior Spring Classic (U19) Championships
The Junior Spring Classic (U19) Championship is contested annually over the Victoria Day long weekend and features many of Ontario’s best male and female junior golfers. The field of competitors gained entry to the competition through a qualifying process earlier in the season.
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Key Provincial Competitions Protocols/Restrictions (as of May 31st, **subject to change)
- At all times, and in all places, 2-metre physical distancing must be respected.
- No Caddies permitted except for the Ontario Disability Championship.
- No spectators, including coaches, are permitted (**Exceptions: Players 18 & under may have one accompanying adult).
- Restricted field sizes (see individual championship websites)
Click here for the full version of the Championship protocols. **These protocols are subject to change as new guidance is received from the government.
For more information please contact:
Brianna Christopher, Assistant, Marketing Communications, Golf Ontario;
BChristopher@gao.ca
Peter MacKellar, Manager, Marketing and Communications, Golf Ontario;
