July 3, 2023
Beeton, ON – Golf Ontario is pleased to welcome back the Junior (U19) Boys Championship at The Club at Bond Head between July 4-7. 156 of Ontario’s top junior male golfers 18 and under will compete for the Junior Championship Trophy.
The Ontario Junior Boys Championship, which enters its 101st year running, has a prominent history attached to it. Since 1923, when Donald Day was its first champion, this tournament has allowed the best male junior golfers across the province to showcase their talent against one another. As well, there have been many champions of this tournament that went on and achieved more success in their careers. Past champions include Mike Weir, Gary Cowan, David Morland IV, Gerry Kesselring, Stan Baluik, Jon Mills and so many more.
Competition is expected to be fierce given the talent on display as well as course conditions. The tournament will be held on the South Course at The Club at Bond Head – The Club at Bond Head will prove to be a true test of golf to all competitors. The course will give players room to drive the ball with wide-open fairways, but will test the other components of their games due to their thick fescue and well-placed, yet challenging bunkers.
Golf Ontario CEO, Kyle MacFarlane, highlights the importance of this experience for the young golfers set to take the stage in this championship. “We are thrilled to welcome a remarkable lineup of young athletes to Bond Head for the Junior Boys (U19) Championship,” he said. “This tournament will showcase the exceptional talents of the top junior boys from across the province, and present them with the opportunity to test their abilities against fellow competitors.”
Leading the wave of competitors is Team Ontario member Isaiah Ibit (Camelot Golf and Country Club), who is the current number 1 ranked U19 Junior Boy on the Ontario Junior Golf Pathway U19 rankings. Ibit has been off to a fantastic start this season, winning the Ontario Junior Players Invitational Presented by Play Golf Myrtle Beach, the Ontario Junior U19 Boys Spring Classic, as well as the NextGen Ontario Championship. Ibit will be tested by his fellow teammate Luke Smith (The Thornhill Club) who won the 2022 Ontario Junior Boys Match Play Championship and finished as the 2022 #1 ranked Junior U19 Boy. Andrew Aquino (The National Golf Club of Canada), has had a strong start to the year coming off two third-place finishes at the Ontario Junior Boys Spring Classic and the NextGen Ontario Championship. Finally, Zachary Smith (Brampton Golf Club) another Team Ontario member is coming off an impressive 2023 Ontario Men’s Match Play Championship where he finished as the runner-up. Zachary also won the 2022 Ontario Junior Tour Championship last fall.
Each competitor will test their skills over the course of this four-day stretch with only one emerging on top. The weather is expected to be in their favour the entire week with clear skies and the sun lighting up the whole course.
About Golf Ontario
Golf Ontario is Ontario’s Provincial Sport Organization focused on enhancing participation, elevating performance, and supporting the passion of golfers in Ontario. With over 100,000 individual members and 500 member clubs, Golf Ontario is one of the most significant golf associations in the world. From rating courses and keeping the integral rules of the game intact to growing the game at the grassroots level and hosting the best amateur tournaments in Canada, Golf Ontario is a passionate group dedicated to Shaping Lives Through Golf.
For more information, please contact:
Greg Mitchell, Coordinator; Brand, Communications & Marketing Golf Ontario
Connor Doyle, Tournament Director
