Ryan McMillan and Chaewon Baek are off to their respective Canadian junior championships after winning the Future Links Prairie Championship Driven By Acura at TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club.
McMillan, a 17-year-old Winnipeg-based golfer, hit a sizzling 68 Thursday on the final day of the three day tournament. His 211 over the three days was four strokes better than Kade Johnson from Yorkton in second place and his final round was tied for the best round of the week with Jacob Kydd from Regina on Tuesday.
McMillan had three birdies on the back nine to jump out to the lead and seal the victory.
“Definitely on the back nine, I just had to learn to hit fairways and hit greens,” said McMillan. “The putting is pretty simple on the back nine. You've just got to hit it in play and you can score.”
He birdied the par three 14th hole as the last of his under par holes Thursday.
“It was 130 yards and it was a little downwind and so it was just a nice 54 degree (iron) for me. I thought it was a little bit closer than what it was and it ended up being about five feet and I thought it was a little tap in. It was a downhill putt and i just tapped it to make sure I wasn't going to run it too far by, hit a good putt and it went in.
That birdie gave him a lead of a few strokes as his playing partners weren't able to match him anymore. Keeping focus on winning the tournament became a bit of a challenge for McMillan.
“You definitely want to play safer,” he said. “The only thing I was thinking about more was that I hadn't missed a green yet until 16. I thought '18 holes bogey free, hitting all the greens, that's a clean round'. Then I ended up missing the green on 16, but hit the pin dead centre on my chip.”
McMillan is now headed to nationals July 31-Aug. 3 in Kingston, Ont. He attended last year's event but didn't make the cut after 36 holes, finishing with a 15-over-par 157 after two rounds at St. John's Clovelly Golf.
“I'd like to contend. Last year wasn't great for me. I was a little nervous. But this year I'd like to contend,” he said.
Baek, a 13-year-old from Langley, B.C. won the event after figuring out the wind in the first couple of days. On the first day, Baek eagled the par-five third hole at Woodlawn. Her final round 77 was good for a total of 226 for the tournament and nine strokes over Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C. Arora hit an even par 72 Thursday.
The wind wasn't something Baek was used to.
“And even though the course was great, the back nine was still tough for me and everyone else,” said Baek. “Except for the wind and the back nine... the course was good and it was fun.”
She was able to make better adjustments because of her trip to Texas last year.
“I feel like the first and second round was even more windy than last year's Texas tournament,” she said. “This tournament had the most windy day I've ever played during my lifetime.”
Baek still did well enough to hit a 71 on the first day.
The Canadian junior girls' nationals are taking place Aug. 1-3 in Cumberland, Ont and it will be her first trip to nationals.
“I'm looking forward to the other tournaments going on this year,” she said. “I've got IMG (junior world championships in San Diego) coming up next week and I'm going to junior girls at end of July.”
The best local score was Jayden Dudas, 14, who was tied for 18th with a three-day score of 235. He hit an opening round 73, and had he hit another couple of those he'd be in contention to win at his young age.
“I was hitting the ball good and I was actually putting good, which was a plus,” Dudas said. “I didn't putt very good both the other days. The greens were the same. But I couldn't read putts and couldn't hit my line.”
Dudas is back on the fairway this week in another major competition, the three-day junior men's championship at Chinook GC in Swift Current that ends today.
“Hopefully I get prepared,” he said. “I might switch putters, actually. I have another putter at home so I may put that back in the bag.”
Jace Carlisle was also disappointed with his putting as he went 82-80-87 through the week to finish in 33rd.
“I was pretty confident going into it but I guess my play didn't say that,” he said, although he hit four birdies in the week. “It's one of those weeks where it didn't happen and it didn't go my way.”
Carlisle is also at provincials this week.
“I'm going to need lots of practice,” he said. “I'm going to need to work hard and get it together.”
