Coquitlam's Kevin Vigna fired a sizzling six-under-par last weekend but saved his best shot for last.
Vigna, 15, chipped in from the fringe on the 18th and final hole and that was the difference as he trimmed Kevin Kwon of Pitt Meadows by a single stroke to win the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour's Prodigy Series event at Surrey's Morgan Creek Golf Club.
"This win feels great," said Vigna, a member of his home-town's Vancouver Golf Club. "Kevin Kwon is an outstanding player and it could have gone either way. We had a battle.
"Chipping in on 18 was probably the highlight."
The victory gave Vigna the Boys 14-16 division crown an first overall among 78 shooters and, more importantly, his choice of a qualifying spot in either the Future Collegiate World Tour national championships later this season in Florida or the U.S. Junior Sectionals. He also earned the chance to attend the Junior Worlds in San Diego, Cal. once the other qualifiers across Canada are completed.
Vigna finished the Prodigy tourney with a brilliant 68-70-138 total, while the defending-champion Kwon was next at 68-71-139.
Two other Coquitlam golfers, Trevor Garafano and Oscar Baek, tied for fifth and sixth in the division with respective 145 and 148 scores. Baek also won his category's Mr. Lube Long Drive award. Gunntas Sidhu of Port Coquitlam also placed in the top 10 in the category by finishing in a three-way deadlock for ninth via a 149 total.
Also, 12-year-old Henry Lee of Coquitlam captured gold in the Boys 13-and-under bracket after carding 72-72-144 to finish a staggering six shots ahead of runner-up Patrick Tan of Vancouver. Coquitlam's Ally Shin shot 74-71-145 but finished second in the Girls Open division due to retrogression. In the Boys 17-19 group, Myles DeBrincat of Coquitlam tied for fourth with a 76-74-150 total.
