He doesn’t know where he’s going, but Vernon golfer Ryan Vest knows he’ll be part of the field.
Vest has qualified for the 2023 Canadian Junior Boys Championship (venue to be determined) by placing in the top three in the Junior Boys division at the NextGen Fall Series West Championship, held in late September in Golden.
Mathew Wilson, who plays out of Nanaimo Golf Club, followed up a second-round 4-under 68 with a final-round 72, and tournament total 2-under 214 (74-68-72) to win by three shots over Alex Zhang of Richmond.
Wilson, 15, entered final-round play with a share of the lead at 2-under through 36 holes and held off a back-nine push by Vest, Zhang, second-round co-leader Joshua Ince of Surrey, B.C. and Caleb Davies of Langley.
The top three male competitors (Wilson, Zhang, and Vest) from the 54-hole championship earn a spot in the 2023 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO.
Vest, who golfs out of Predator Ridge, fired rounds of 75-71-72 to finish at 2-over 218.
The NextGen Fall Series West Championship conducted by Golf Canada was the final of eight regional junior championships presented in partnership with JOURNIE Rewards.
From May through July, six championships took place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers competed to earn exemptions into their respective 2022 national junior championships, with two Fall Series events taking place in September.
NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and display their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.
READ MORE: Vernon golfer captures silver medal at B.C. Junior finals
READ MORE: Vernon golfer runs away with national championship
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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