BY REGAN LYNN
More was happening in Calgary last week than just the Stampede. Bearspaw Country Club hosted the Alberta Junior Golf Championship for boys and girls aged 18 and under.
For the boys, it is also known as The Frank Lindsay Junior Boys Championship. Participating in the tournament were approximately 120 boys and 45 girls from all across the province.
Many of the province's top golfers were there, so the competition was stiff. Of the boys, several of the top juniors have committed to continue golfing collegiately, in the U.S. and Canada, in the coming year(s), while others are also on Team Alberta's Development Team. On the girls side, Calgarian Jaclyn Lee, who is 17 years old, recently won the Sun Life Financial Alberta Ladies Amateur title, as well as the girls title at this year's championship.
Bearspaw Country Club and Mother Nature did not disappoint. Varying elevation changes, scenic holes, and a meticulously manicured course challenged the golfers over the course of the four day tournament. Sunshine was a regular occurrence and temperatures even reached the thirties at times. However, all four days had breezy conditions.
Junior Jaxon Lynn, a member at Sylvan Lake Golf and Country Club, participating in his second Alberta Junior Championship, made the cut after two significantly different rounds.
He shot an 81 the first round, but followed it up with a tournament low round of 66, a personal best for him, leaving him tied for sixth place going into the third round.
Speaking about his blistering second round score, where he had nine birdies (including a streak of five in a row), he said, “‘I was hitting it tight and knocking in putts, so whenever you do that, you're going to shoot low ... Hopefully I can string together two more good rounds and I might finish alright.”‘
Grouped with experienced and highly ranked junior golfers in the province for the final two rounds did not really faze Lynn. His third round was steady and left him well positioned for a final round charge, six strokes back. He shot an even par 71, but despite a few early hiccups, he battled back and grinded out a solid round.
During the final round, Lynn felt he gave away too many strokes, as he shot a 79. He finished tied for seventh in the championship, which was a great achievement.
Despite a tough finish, it was a great learning experience on many levels and he can take some satisfaction that his solid week on the course earned him a spot at Nationals in Niagara Falls (Legends of Niagara Course) at the end of July, if he chooses to go.