A Coquitlam teen is suddenly turning heads on Canada's junior golf scene.
Abby Chow claimed her first-ever tournament title on the Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT) on Tuesday (July 20) during the Ford Series at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops.
The 17-year-old won by a single stroke in the two-day event — amid windy and smoky conditions thanks to B.C.'s wildfire season — which propelled her to a now fifth-place ranking among female golfers across the country.
The victory is a long-time coming for Chow, who competes in the MJT's highest division for girls.
“Going into the tournament, I felt pretty confident with my game,” the Gleneagle Secondary student explained, who scored an accumulated total of 150 after completing rounds of 73 and 77.
“I feel really great about this win as it’s my first win on the MJT BC circuit.”
The win follows a slew of runner-up finishes for Chow, which included a silver medal back in April from the Chad Hippsley Real Estate Classic at Morgan Creek (Surrey).
It adds to her national scoring total for the 2021 campaign and is only 62.5 points from the top spot currently occupied by Calgary's Brynne Davies.
Chow is ranked second among B.C. golfers on the MJT behind Langley's Sueah Park, who has three top-three finishes this season.
In August 2020, Chow committed to UBC for fall 2022 with the T-Birds' women's golf squad.
Meanwhile, fellow Coquitlam golfer June Hsiao also recently climbed to the top of a podium in winning the 15-19 girls division title at the MJT's B.C. stop in Abbotsford.
She shot a two-day total of 149 at Ledgeview Golf Club on July 22 and 23 to earn her first tour victory and now ranked 23rd in the national standings.
