When he’s not working around the range, Braeden Cooper often plays 18 or 27 holes a day at Hillview Golf Course.
The one-handicapper knows the track well and won the 27th Hillview Junior City Championship Monday with a 1-over 57, his fourth straight title. The soft-spoken Cooper, who turns 17 in October, carded nines of 29-28.
“I pretty much knew if I played my best I could win,” said Cooper, a Grade 12 VSS student being wooed by the NCAA Minot State Beavers in North Dakota. “I birdied the first hole but then had three bogeys in a row on five, six and seven. I was two behind Dexter (Weiten) and we were tied on nine. I birdied 10 and Dexter triple-bogeyed.”
Cooper pocketed a gorgeous trophy which bears the names of past champions like former PGA Tour regular Chris Baryla, and a 32-inch flatscreen TV. There was a field of 72.
“Whenever I missed a green, I made a bogey so my short game was OK,” said Cooper, who had six bogeys on his scorecard.
As runner-up with a round of 60, Grade 9 student Austin Armanini received a Samsung tablet.
Kendra Jones-Munk was the girls champion for the fifth straight year with a 63. There was a field of eight girls.
Nash Cullum received the title of club champion for the 14-17 flight with a 63. Weiten also fashioned 63 for second place in the age group after retrogression. Third in the 14-17 division was Elias Wery with 64.
The 12-13 age flight was decided by a dramatic four-hole playoff. Austin Roest was victorious in the playoff to win club champion after shooting a 65 on the course. Max Lockwood also shot 65 and was just edged out in the playoff to take second place. Third place was Jarred Feist with 69.
The 11 &Under flight group was won by Ryan Vest with a 61. William Lockwood shot a 68 to take second place and club champion for the age group. Braxton McDonald was third with 80.
Heatly Jeffers was the winner of the nine-hole division with a 36.
“Hillview Golf would like to thank all the donors, staff, and volunteers, especially our junior organizers Betty Murray and Judy Wakefield,” said club manager Jon Atmore.
Tyler Pitt, who went on to play NCAA golf in San Francisco, took the tourney three times in the 1990s, while Jarret McNeal, the 2012 club champion at Spallumcheen, won back-to-back titles in 2004-05.
Brady Stead, a top provincial junior, captured the 2009-10 Hillview trophies. Jake Horsley won the first two tournaments in 1988-89.
Baryla was runner-up a few times while winning several age group prizes.
