Jared du Toit from Kimberley shows off the beautiful golf swing that propelled him to claim the B.C. Amateur Golf Championships trophy last week at Fairview Mountain Golf Club in Oliver. Du Toit, who captured the B.C. Junior Boys title two years ago, shot an impressive 10 under par to defeat Stuart MacDonald from Vancouver by seven strokes in the 72-hole tourney. (Keith Lacey photo)
Golf fans from across the South Okanagan – and across Canada – should remember the name Jared du Toit.
The talented golfer from Kimberley proved he was the class of the field as he waltzed to a relatively easy victory to claim the B.C. Amateur Golf Championship last Friday afternoon at Fairview Mountain Golf Club in Oliver.
Two years after winning the B.C. Junior Boys Golf Championship in Revelstoke, du Toit, 19, added to his impressive resume by winning the 72-hole tournament by seven strokes over Stuart MacDonald of Point Grey Golf Club in Vancouver.
Playing the final round in blustery winds that gusted to more than 50 kilometres per hour, du Toit played smart, conservative golf to shoot 73 or one over par.
But he had accumulated a significant lead over the first three days of competition playing tremendous golf with scores of 68, 68 and 69 over the first 54 holes.
McDonald was the leader after 36 holes, but ballooned to a four-over par 76 on Thursday to fall out of contention.
Du Toit, who is transferring to Arizona State this September after two successful seasons at the University of Idaho, said winning the B.C. Amateur was even more exciting than winning the provincial junior boys championship two years ago.
“This was my biggest win for sure,” said du Toit, who was a model of consistency in all aspects of the game throughout the tournament. “This was a top-notch field with all of the best young guys in the province and a few of the top older guys, so to win it feels very good.”
Having a substantial lead heading into the final round allowed him to play the final 18 holes relatively stress free, said du Toit.
“It’s a lot easier to play with a big lead for sure,” he said. “I also love the pressure of being in a tight field, but this is a big tournament that I really wanted to win and I’m glad I didn’t have to deal with a lot of stress heading down the stretch.”
Playing in hot and windy conditions on Friday was difficult, but all of the other golfers had to deal with the same elements and he was confident he would be able to hold onto his lead and win the tournament, said du Toit.
“It was really windy out there and I sort of figured it would be difficult to shoot a really low score and catch me,” he said. “My only goal was to play consistent golf and get the ball on the green in regulation and shoot a bunch of pars. I thought that would be good enough and it was.”
This was du Toit’s first visit to Fairview Mountain Golf Club and he had nothing but praise for the course and tournament.
“The course was just awesome,” he said. “It was a challenge every single day and they made it difficult, which it should be for a tournament of this calibre.
“The greens were very fast, but very fair and reminded me a lot of my home course in Kimberley, so I felt really comfortable on the greens throughout the tournament and I putted very well.”
Du Toit said he’s looking forward to attending Arizona State, the alma mater of legendary American golfer Phil Mickelson.
Once he finishes his degree, du Toit hopes to turn pro as quickly as possible.
“I would love to play golf for a living,” he said. “The ultimate goal is the PGA tour, but I’ve got a long way to go before that ever happens.”
Du Toit is looking forward to attending the Canadian Amateur Golf Championships in Toronto in August and believes he’s playing well enough to be a serious contender for the national crown.
“If I keep playing the way I have been, I think I’ll have a really good shot,” he said.
MacDonald finished second at the B.C. amateur tournament for the second year in a row. He finished 10th four years ago and seventh in 2013.
“That’s four times in the top 10 in the past four years, so I’m really disappointed I couldn’t get it done this time,” said MacDonald, who conceded he had little chance of winning the tournament after shooting 76 during the third round.
“I really wanted to win this thing, but Jared played incredibly well and deserved to win.”
MacDonald, who is about to attend his senior year at Purdue University in the United States, said he plans on going pro after graduating from school.
“I can hopefully make the pro tour in Canada or maybe even the Web.com tour in the states,” he said. “My ultimate goal is the PGA tour, but I know it’s going to take a few years of hard work to achieve that goal.”
MacDonald also praised Fairview Mountain and the staff for hosting a wonderful tournament.
Ian Kim of Surrey finished third in the tournament with a score of one-over par.
Kris Jonasson, the executive director of the British Columbia Golf Association, said Fairview Mountain proved to be an inspired choice to host this tournament.
“This is an amazing golf course and we thank all of the staff for putting on such a wonderful event,” he said.
The vast majority of players had nothing but praise for the course, even though there were some complaints about the quick greens, he said.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
Jared du Toit from Kimberley is shown with his father Blake minutes after winning the prestigious tournament. (Keith Lacey photo)
