156 of Canada’s top junior golfers head to Northern Ontario to compete for the Junior title along with a U16 Juvenile division and an inter-provincial team competition.
North Bay, Ont. – The 2023 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO is set for August 14-17 with a field of 156 junior golfers competing over four rounds at The North Bay Golf and Country Club in North Bay, Ont.
This year’s field competing for the Canadian Junior Boys Trophy, also known as the Silver Cup, features a talented field of Canadian players, including five 2023 NextGen tournament winners—Dougie Basadur of Fonthill, Ont. (NextGen Atlantic), Isaiah Ibit of Orleans, Ont. (NextGen Ontario), Jerry Li, Vancouver, B.C. (NextGen Pacific), Kye Fisher of Leduc, Alta. (NextGen Prairie) and Henry Dao from Laprairie, Que. (NextGen Quebec).
“North Bay Golf & Country Club is a classic Stanley Thompson design and will provide a tough but fair test for the country’s best junior golfers,” said Golf Canada Tournament Director Daniel Suppa. “The Host Club committee at North Bay and its members are extremely proud to host this prestigious event. In working with the staff at North Bay and their tournament committee, everyone involved is passionate and committed to providing a world-class event for all participants travelling to the tournament.”
Established in 1921, the North Bay Golf and Country Club is a privately owned club with shareholders and governed by an elected Board of Directors. In 1921, a group of golf enthusiasts formed the North Bay Golf and Country Club and engaged Stanley Thompson, the renowned Canadian designer to lay out the new course on what was once farmland originally owned by the Macintosh family.
The original nine holes spanned 2,800 yards and were ready for play in 1923 with the second nine opening in 1966. With seasonal renovations and a strong commitment from members giving of their labour, resources and donations, the course has evolved into one of the finest eighteen-hole challenges in North Ontario.
“The entire membership and professional staff are extremely excited to showcase our Northern hospitality and our beautiful property to the best junior golfers in the country,” said Jeff Mancini, Director of Golf and General Manager, North Bay Golf and Country Club. “What our course lacks in distance it makes up for with narrow corridors, challenging lies and undulating green complexes that require your attention on all putts.”
Established in 1938 with the first championship played at London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont., the Canadian Junior Boys Championship has given Canadians a glimpse into the future glory that many of its champions have gone on to enjoy. Canadian Golf Hall of Famers Doug Silverberg, George Knudson, Gary Cowan, and Doug Roxburgh have all won the Silver Cup before moving on to amateur and professional careers.
Reigning RBC Canadian Open champion Nick Taylor won the Junior in 2006, the only Canadian male golfer to win the trifecta of national championships comprised of the Canadian Junior Boys, Canadian Men’s Amateur, and Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship (joining Brooke Henderson who is the lone female Canadian golfer to win the Canadian Junior Girls, Canadian Women’s Amateur, and the CPKC Women’s Open).
In addition to the 18-and-under Junior Championship, the 16-and-under Juvenile Championship was added in 1970, with the winner receiving the Jack Bailey Trophy. Since its inception, only ten golfers have won both the Juvenile and Junior titles — Jim Rutledge, Jeff Makahon, Rob McMillan, Jesse Collinson, Dustin Risdon, Gord Scutt, Rafael Lee, Mitch Sutton, Charles-Éric Bélanger and Christopher Vandette.
The Junior and Juvenile championship rounds are played concurrently over four rounds, with the top 70 players plus ties in the Junior division and a minimum of ten players in the Juvenile division advancing to the final 36 holes. The Junior Inter-Provincial Team Championship will be played over the first 36 holes, where teams will compete for the Junior Inter-Provincial Championship Trophy.
The new purse payout that was introduced in 2022 will continue at this year’s championship. To align with the modernized Rules of Amateur Status, players at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship will compete for a purse of $8,000 CAD. Amateur golfers may accept prize money up to a maximum of $1,200 CAD, and payouts will be awarded to the top 10 finishers and ties.
The Junior champion of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship earns an exemption into the 2024 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship as well as the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.
For the full player field competing in the Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.
GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Golf Canada annually conducts more than 30 golf competitions and qualifiers nation-wide – including nine National Amateur Championships – which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by BDO Canada, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Titleist, FootJoy, Sport Canada, Levelwear and JOURNIE Rewards. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/championships.