The 102nd Ontario Junior (U19) Boys Championship heads to Otter Creek Golf Club July 8 – 11.
A field of Ontario’s top 144 junior male golfers will put their skills to the test for the Junior Championship Trophy.
Since 1923, the Ontario Junior Boys Championship has seen plenty of talent put on display.
Notable past champions include Mike Weir (1988), Gary Cowan (1956), David Morland IV (1986), Gerry Kesselring (1945, 1946, 1948), Stan Baluik (1954), Jon Mills (1996), Ashton McCulloch (2019) and so many more.
Otter Creek Golf Club, which previously hosted the 2020 Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship, features plenty of width off the tee, but also challenges players with angles into undulating greens.
The first two rounds will feature morning tee-offs starting at 8 a.m. and afternoon starts set for 1 p.m. from the first and 10th tees, followed by 7:30 a.m. tee-offs for rounds three and four after the 36-hole cut.
For first round pairings and start times, CLICK HERE.
FIELD NOTES
Team Ontario: All eight of Team Ontario’s male golfers will compete: Chase Jerome (Royal Ottawa Golf Club); Jordan Hwang (Emerald Hills Golf and Country Club); Ben Sheridan (Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club); Bode Stephen (Cataraqui Golf & Country Club); Dawson Lew (Players Club – Markham); Graydon Laughlin (Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club); Nathaniel Yoo (Meadowbrook Golf Club); Rylan Hall (Whistle Bear Golf Club).
Next Wave: Nine of the Next Wave program’s eleven male golfers will be in the field: Ben Julie (Sawmill Golf Course); Cole Thompson (Lookout Point Country Club); Matthew Simpson (Lambton Golf & Country Club); Aiden Pavey (Hidden Lake Golf Club); Bo Dong (Golf Canada Club – Ontario); Gabriel Mainella (Summit Golf & Country Club); Michael Vivone (Royal Ottawa Golf Club); Tristian Zhang (Summit Golf & Country Club); Josh Ye (Summit Golf & Country Club).
Team Canada: Four of Team Canada’s NextGen male golfers will also be at Otter Creek Golf Club: Luke Smith (The Thornhill Club); Isaiah Ibit (Camelot Golf & Country Club); Matthew Javier (Scarboro Golf & Country Club); Eric Zhao (Bayview Golf & Country Club).
Top Junior Golf Pathway Ranking Players: Dawson Lew, No. 1, U19, U17; Matthew Javier, No. 2, U19; Aidan Talent, No. 3, U19.
PLAYER NOTES
Of the 144 players in the field, notable names include:
The defending Ontario Junior (U19) Boys Champion, Luke Smith (The Thornhill Club), who also won the 2022 Ontario Junior (U19) Boys Match Play Championship.
Matthew Javier (Scarboro Golf & Country Club), who is on a torrid streak this year, winning the Ontario Junior (U19) Boys Spring Classic and recently, the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship.
Last year’s Junior Boys Spring Classic Champion and Ontario NextGen Champion, Isaiah Ibit (Camelot Golf & Country Club), who also ranked first in last year’s U19 Boys’ Junior Golf Pathway Rankings.
Winner of the 2024 Ontario NextGen Championship, Jager Pain (Golf Canada Club – Ontario).
Gabriel Mainella (Summit Golf & Country Club), who won this year’s Ontario Junior Players Invitational.
QUOTES
Connor Doyle, Tournament Director: “The Ontario Junior Boys Championship has been one of the most highly anticipated events on the Golf Ontario calendar for more than 100 years now. Otter Creek will be an excellent test for our players and will provide us with another competitive and exciting championship.”
John Hall, Director of Golf – Otter Creek Golf Club: “Otter Creek Golf Club is a beautiful piece of property and a unique golf course for the players; we are excited to present it to them. The rolling slopes and angles on the greens mixed with the severity of the fescue will definitely test their accuracy, creativity and skill. The Ontario Junior Boys Championship is an event that has a prestigious history attached to it, and our staff is looking forward to welcoming all players, staff and volunteers for its 102nd edition.”
FAST FACTS
Championship Venue: Otter Creek Golf Club
Championship Dates: July 8 – 11
Field: 144 players
Format: 72-hole, stroke play, (36 Hole Cut – Low 60 & Ties)
Leaderboard Link: 24′ Ontario Junior (U19) Boys’ Championship Event :: Tournament Results (golfgenius.com)
Fun Fact: Otter Creek Golf Course is one of four mid-western Ontario golf courses designed by renowned Canadian golf course architect, Dick Kirkpatrick.
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