Thunder Bay, Ont. – Jeri Lafleche of Winnipeg, Man. claimed the lead on Friday and kept the same momentum throughout the whole tournament, while Ryan Mosher of Saskatoon, Sask. came out on top to win the 2024 NextGen Prairie Championship at Whitewater Golf Club in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Overcast conditions rolled in for Sunday’s final round. Lafleche outlasted the field with rounds of 75-73-76, finishing at 8-over par and five shots clear of runner up Olivia Johnson of Calgary, Alta. Lafleche carded five bogeys on Sunday but was able to record 3 pars in a row on 16-18 to get the win. Lafleche was in the lead heading into the final round, and now has earned direct exemption into the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
“Winning this tournament means a lot, it’s a great start to the season and then travelling all this way, it’s nice to come home with the win,” said Lafleche.
Sunday’s win is Lafleche’s first of the season. Lafleche said it was tough to keep her focus while playing in cold and windy conditions.
“It was pretty tough on the front nine, I’m not going to lie with the wind being even colder and then sometimes you’re in the open and sometimes you’re in the cold, it’s not a constant temperature, but ended up working through it,” said Lafleche.
In the Junior Boys Division, Mosher finished the tournament on a high note, with a 2-over 74 on Sunday. Mosher finished three shots clear of Josiah Tong of Heritage Pointe, Alta. to claim his spot into the 2024 Canadian Junior Boys Championship. Mosher grabbed the lead in the first round with a 2-under 70 and finished with two solid rounds of 74-74 to claim the championship.
“It felt great. I had a couple hiccups with the driver but other than that my game was just on point. My putting was spectacular so I couldn’t have asked for a better three days of putting, irons were good and was able to aim at the pins which helped a lot,” said Mosher.
Tong finished 5-over par to finish in second and secured his spot also in the 2024 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.
The top six players in the Junior Girls division have earned exemptions into the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, July 22-25 at Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver B.C.
NextGen Prairie Championship – Advancing to Canadian Junior Girls Championship
| Pos. | Player | Residence | Score |
| 1 | Jeri Lafleche | Winnipeg, Man. | +8 |
| 2 | Olivia Johnson | Calgary, Alta | +13 |
| 3 | Sela Ogada | Calgary, Alta. | +16 |
| 4 | Juanita Beatrix Tandoc | Toronto, Ont. | +17 |
| 5 | Chloe Wills | Kyle, Sask. | +21 |
| 6 | Sarah Du | King City, Ont. | +23 |
In the Junior Boys division, the top six players earn exemption into the 2024 Canadian Junior Boys championship, August 13-16, at Innisfail Golf Club in Innisfail, Alta.
NextGen Prairie Championship – Advancing to Canadian Junior Boys Championship
| Pos. | Player | Residence | Score |
| 1 | Ryan Mosher | Saskatoon, Sask. | +2 |
| 2 | Josiah Tong | Heritage Point, Alta. | +5 |
| 3 | Nathan Lepore | Thunder Bay, Ont. | +8 |
| 4 | Michael Yao | Richmond Hill, Ont. | +10 |
| T5 | Haden Wang | Richmond Hill, Ont. | +11 |
| T5 | Jameson Staab | Kitchener, Ont. | +11 |
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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