Defending champion Keaton Gudz from Victoria is expected to be in Osoyoos to try and defend his junior boys championship. The Osoyoos Golf Club will be hosting the B.C. Junior Boys Golf Championships from July 7-10 at the Park Meadows course at the Osoyoos Golf Club. A field of 156 golfers under age 18 will be gathering for the prestigious tournament, which is sure to showcase some of the finest young golfing talent in the entire country, said Drew Bolokoski, head professional at the Osoyoos Golf Club. (Photo supplied)
Local golf fans are in for a rare treat as the finest junior golfers in British Columbia will be showcasing their talents at the Osoyoos Golf Club next week.
Two years after hosting the B.C. Junior Girls Golf Championships, the Osoyoos Golf Club will be hosting the B.C. Junior Boys Golf Championships from July 7-10 at the Park Meadows course at the Osoyoos Golf Club.
A field of 156 golfers under age 18 will be gathering for the prestigious tournament, which is sure to showcase some of the finest young golfing talent in the entire country, said Drew Bolokoski, head professional at the Osoyoos Golf Club.
“There will be some outstanding young golfers coming to town,” said Bolokoski. “Some of the best golfers coming to town will be pursuing pro careers and others will be receiving American scholarship offers. The calibre of golf is going to be fantastic and our club is really looking forward to hosting this event.”
Senior management with the British Columbia Golf Association (BCGA) was so impressed with the way the provincial junior girls tournament transpired two years ago that they approached management at Osoyoos Golf Club to see if they would be interested in hosting this tournament, said Bolokoski.
“We obviously did a good job with the junior girls, because the BCGA approached us about hosting the junior boys,” he said. “It’s a nice compliment to be asked to host a tournament of this calibre.”
All 156 golfers will be in Osoyoos for a practice round on Monday, July 6 and action in the 72-hole tournament will begin early Tuesday morning and continue for four days.
“After the first two rounds of play, the field will be cut to the top 70 plus ties,” said Bolokoski.
In the past decade, the Osoyoos Golf Club has hosted the B.C. Senior Men’s Golf Championships and B.C. Junior Girls Golf Championship and landing the B.C. Junior Boys Golf Championships is a clear indication the local club has plenty to offer to players and visitors alike, he said.
“We’re one of the few courses in the province to host three major championships in the last few years,” he said. “It’s something we’re all proud of because not too many courses get to host tournaments of this calibre.”
All local golf fans will be able to come out and enjoy the action throughout the tournament, said Bolokoski.
“Everyone is free to come out and check out the action,” he said. “They’re going to be very impressed by the calibre of golf because kids this age are very talented … they are the future of golf.”
Having this many young golfers in town will provide a nice boost to the local economy as well, he said.
“That’s 156 golfers, plus parents and a few siblings,” he said. “They will be staying in local hotels and eating in local restaurants, so it will be a nice boost to the town for sure.”
Osoyoos Golf Club is blessed to have two separate courses when large tournaments like this come to town as members and visitors can still play the Desert Gold course while the junior tournament is taking place, he said.
Cole Rezka of Osoyoos is the only local teenager who has qualified to compete in the provincial tournament, said Bolokoski.
Talented local golfer Ben Petreny turns 19 just a few days before the event and will not be competing because he’s too old.
The top four golfers in the tournament will automatically qualify for the Canadian junior boys championship in Quebec in August and several other players can also qualify for the nationals if they score well in Osoyoos, he said.
It takes dozens of local volunteers to put on a tournament of this size and thankfully there has been strong response from volunteers since it was announced the provincial junior boys tournament was coming to Osoyoos.
“We’ve been working hard on getting ready for this tournament for three or four months,” said Bolokoski. “We have dozens of volunteers to make sure everything runs smoothly.
“The club is going to be hopping and all our staff will be kept very busy, but we’re all looking forward to it.”
As an avid golf fan himself, Bolokoski said he’s looking forward to getting out as often as possible to see the top players perform.
Defending champion Keaton Gudz from Victoria is expected to be in Osoyoos to try and defend his junior boys championship.
Bolokoski said local golf fans who do show up to catch the action will be very impressed with the calibre of play and just how far these young kids can hit the ball with every club in their bag.
“It should be a fantastic week of golf and the top guys will be exceptional golfers with a lot of talent,” he said.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
