The 2015 Golf Quebec Junior season got underway this weekend in New York State. Some the most talented players in the association competed at the Golf Quebec Junior Spring Open at Olde Kinderhook Golf Club, just south of Albany.
Boys
Charles-Éric Bélanger continued the fine form her showed over various wins in 2014. The Juvenile-aged member of Royal Québec showed little winter rust as his rounds of 72 and 71 put gave him the win over the entire field, even the junior-aged players.
Bélanger beat out the second place finisher, Brandon Lacasse, by two strokes. Both were members on Team Québec for the victorious Williamson Cup team last year. Their teammates from that week, Félix Normand , and Eric Marshall, finished 3rd and 11th this week, respectively.
Tying Normand was Team Canada Development Squad member, Étienne Papineau. Papineau is the defending Quebec provincial boy’s champion.
Girls
The girls competition, at least for the junior title, was not quite as dramatic as the boys. Noémie Paré of Club de golf Victoriaville roasted the field but shooting 144 (73-71) to beat her nearest competitor by sixteen strokes.
The only competition for Paré came for the overall title as Juvenile-aged Grace St-Germain of Ottawa fought back from an opening 77 with a brilliant 2, under par, 70, on Sunday.
That performance gave St-Germain, the defending Canadian Junior/Juvenile Girls Champion, the Juvenile division title. the Camelot Golf & Country Club member took second overall, one better than Chloe Currie of Mississauga, Ontario.
Exemptions
The tournament also had an extra bonus for the boy’s competition. The top three players received and automatic exemption into the Boys’ Provincial Junior Championship to be held at Le Blainvillier from July 19 to 23. The trio receiving those bids were Charles-Éric Bélanger (Royal Québec), Brandon Lacasse (Kanawaki) and Félix Normand (Beloeil).
