A hot start and cool demeanor gave Coquitlam's Tom Bang his division's title at the Lindsay Kenney Classic junior golf tournament last weekend at Swan-e-set Bay Resort in Pitt Meadows.
Bang used only 28 putts in the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour event's opening round Saturday to fire a 74, then followed it with a respectable 81 Sunday for a 155 total to win the 13-shooter Boys 17-19 crown by three strokes over Vancouver's Jacob Vanderpas.
"Think positive, never think negative," was how the 17-year-old Bang described his general mind set. "I feel great and proud to win my division."
Another Coquitlam golfer, Ken Wei, fired 98-93-191 to place 12th in the 20-player category.
In the Boys 14-16 group, Nick Krystal of Port Moody placed fourth after carding a 78-80-158 score to finish six shots behind the winner Logan Yanick of Courtenay.
Jun Kang of Coquitlam was seventh with 84-81-165, while Coquitlam's Jerry Bang and Shayne LaRochelle finished in a three-way tie for eighth with 84-85-169 and 83-86-169 counts respectively. Hoon Lee of Coquitlam was 15th with 95-95-190.
In the Girls Open bracket, nine-year-old Euna Han of Coquitlam was seventh with 99-98-197. Lily He, 12, of Pitt Meadows won with a sizzling 71-73-144 score.
EWART 2nd AT MCCLEERY
A strong second-round charge by Coquitlam's A.J. Ewart wasn't quite enough as Vancouver's Patrick Tan hung tight to claim the Boys 14-and-under division at the Euro Junior Golf Cup/Lipton Brisk Canada West qualifier last weekend at Vancouver's McCleery course.
Tan captured his second straight Canadian Junior Golf Tour event with a 70-71-141 score, with Ewart finishing with 75-70-145. Langley's James Kim was third at 77-72-149.
"A.J. started off really [Sunday] with a birdie on the first hole and was three-under part after eight holes," Tan said. "It was hard not to think that he could catch me. I felt the pressure but it feels good that I was able to hold him off."
In the Boys 15-19 division, another Coquitlam golfer, Steven Diack, also finished runner-up with a 70-77-147 count. Richmond's Tony Mak won the category with 73-71-144.
In the Girls Open bracket, nine-year-old Euna Han of Coquitlam was seventh with 99-98-197. Lily He, 12, of Pitt Meadows won with a sizzling 71-73-144 score.
