Entwistle, Alta. – Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver, B.C. and Chase Lassman of Parkland County, Alta. each claimed the NextGen Western Championship on Sunday at Trestle Creek Golf Resort in Entwistle, Alta.
Finishing his second round in a tie for eighth place at one-under par, Lassman finished the tournament at even-par and emerged as the winner after a three-player playoff was required as the 36-hole leader, Ryan Badger of Edmonton, Alta. dropped down the leaderboard to bring the rest of his chasers into contention.
“I just controlled what I could control and that’s my positivity and mental outlook on everything,” commented Lassman moments after draining a six-foot par putt to win the tournament. “The pressure is what you live for.”
Kwon – who led the tournament since Friday afternoon – followed up her opening round score of 71 with a 70 on Saturday and 74 on Sunday to soundly take her maiden win in the NextGen Championship series as a wire-to-wire victory.
Kwon teed off in a trio of NextGen Championships over the last year with her most recent result, a T9 finish at the NextGen Pacific Championship in May, adding to a pair of previous top ten finishes on the circuit.
Hurdles in the final round ultimately left Kwon winless against the top junior talents in the country, however, pairing her 36-hole success along with a pair of birdies on Nos. eight, 11 and 14 on Sunday allowed her to break through and clinch victory at Trestle Creek Golf Resort.
“I feel like I improved my game a lot,” commented Kwon following her round. “I just focused on what I needed to do because focusing on the other players wasn’t going to help my round,” she added.
Kwon entered the final round seven strokes ahead of her nearest competitor and in prime position to take the title. She finished the tournament at one-under par and two strokes ahead of Aleah Shields-Rodipe of Conroe, Texas, with bogeys on her final two holes shrinking her favorable lead.
Similarly to the Junior Girls division, 36-hole leader, Badger, experienced his multi-shot lead disappear on a course playing nearly three stokes harder than it was on Saturday. Badger entered Sunday’s final round three strokes ahead of Ryan Mosher of Saskatoon, Sask. but endured a tumultuous start to his afternoon with bogeys at the second and fifth holes to relinquish some ground to the field.
Steadying himself to make the turn at one-over par, Badger unraveled at the 10th hole to begin his plunge into the crowded leaderboard on his heels. Badger played hole nos. 10 through14 at six-over par in a decisive stretch that featured a triple-bogey on the 14th to drop him into a four-way tie for the lead at even par.
Mosher’s pair of double bogeys at holes 16 and 17 plucked him out of contention to create a three-way tie for the top spot and an eventual playoff on the 16th hole to decide the winner. Badger, Lassman and Lucas Sturgeon of Saskatoon, Sask. each landed their tee shot on the par-three 16th green to open the playoff. The trio failed to make birdie, while Lassman separated himself as the winner with a par putt to claim the title.
NextGen Western Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Girls Championship
*Top 8 plus ties qualify
| Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon (Vancouver, B.C) | -1 |
| Aleah Shields-Rodipe (Conroe, Texas) | +2 |
| Saylar Mae (Rocky Mountain House, Alta) | +10 |
| Tessa Ion (Calgary Alta) | +10 |
| Olivia Johnson (Calgary, Alta) | +14 |
| Charlotte Tam (Burnaby, B.C) | +14 |
| Sela Ogada (Calgary, Alta) | +19 |
| Lexi Blair (Sherwood Park, Alta) | +22 |
NextGen Western Championship – Advancing to 2025 Canadian Junior Boys Championship
*Top 8 plus qualify – won in playoff
| Chase Lassman (Parkland County, Alta) | E* |
| Lucas Sturgeon (Saskatoon, Sask) | E |
| Ryan Badger (Edmonton, Alta) | E |
| Russell Quinn (St. Albert, Alta) | +2 |
| Brae Rogalczyk (Innisfail, Alta) | +2 |
| Ethan Hunter (Casa Rio, Sask) | +3 |
| Chase Strang (Airdrie, Alta) | +3 |
| Ryan Mosher (Saskatoon, Sask) | +3 |
The NextGen Championship schedule continues to roll through western Canada with its next stop at The Legends Golf Club in Warman, Sask. for the playing of the NextGen Prairie Championship. The tournament will run June 13 – June 15 with a practice round preceding the action on June 12.
For the final leaderboards from the NextGen Western Championship, please click here.
About the NextGen Championships
The NextGen Championships are a high-performance junior golf series which totals six competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2024 national championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.
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Article Link: https://www.golfcanada.ca/articles/jenny-kwon-and-chase-lassman-nab-wins-in-alberta-to-resume-nextgen-championship-season/