Junior golfers swung into season over the Easter Weekend at the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour stop hosted at the Arbutus Ridge Golf Club in Cobble Hill.
Despite a turn of bad luck, Jake Du Vall, 17, of Victoria, impressed spectators and players with his resolve. Because of a defect, Du Vall was forced to go without his putter for 14 holes on Day 1. Instead, Du Vall putted with his wedge and still managed to settle for bronze in in the boys 17-19 division, shooting 79 and 74 for a total of 153.
In that same division, Victoria’s Alex Cartwright, 17, shot 76 and 73 (149) but lost a tie-breaker for first to Trevor Garofano, 17, of Coquitlam (77-72). Victoria’s Darren Day won closest-to-the-pin.
Fifteen year olds Naomi Ko and Haley Kruse of Victoria finished second and third in the girls 14-16 division, respectively. Ko shot two rounds of 80 while Kruse shot 84-85. Kruse also won the closest-to-the-pin on the par three ninth hole. Allison Lee, 16, also of Victoria, was named the Golf Town Comeback award recipient for gaining 17 strokes on her second day.
Victoria’s Ethan Ko, 10, was third (90-91) in the boys 13-and-under and Liam Kruse, 11, of Cordova Day Golf Club won the division’s Mr. Lube Long Drive contest.
The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour continues May 7-8 in Abbotsford.