A busy summer golf schedule included an impressive fourth place finish for Richmond’s Alisha Lau at last week’s Canadian Junior Girls Championships in Nova Scotia.
Playing at the Links of Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, the Quilchena Junior carded rounds of 70-75-73-72 to place seven shots back of winner Naomi Ko from Victoria.
B.C. golfers dominated the leaderboard, with Delta’s Mary Parsons, who plays out of Mayfair Lakes, ending up third at even par, while Cecile Kwon of Maple Ridge was one shot back of Lau. Another local player — National Development Team member Kathrine Chan — finished tied for 17th with rounds of 75-76-73-78.
The 16-year-old Lau was in New Jersey just a couple of weeks earlier after qualifying for the U.S. Junior Girls Championship. The soon-to-be Grade 11 student at Burnett Secondary, actually led the Canadian Junior after the opening round that was played in blustery and hot conditions.
She tallied four birdies on the front nine to make the turn at 3-under, then added another on the par-4 10th hole before bogeys at No. 15 and 17 left her at 2-under on the day.
“I felt pretty good. I got off to a hot start, so that helped boost my confidence,” said Lau. “The front nine was pretty calm because the trees shielded it from the wind, and then on the back nine it really started picking up. I’m playing pretty conservatively and trying to find my happy medium. I don’t hit it too long either, so I can use the bounce from the fairway to really help me.”
Lau’s prevous best finish at Junior Nationals was a T20 in 2014 at Thornhill Golf & Country Club in Thornhill, Ont. In the second round of last year’s championship at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask., she was forced to withdraw due to a bout of food poisoning.
“I took a lot of time off in the winter, so this year I’m just trying to play my game. I haven’t been putting too many expectations on myself.”
Lau was second on the Juvenile (16 and under) scoreboard, behind Ontario’s Chloe Currie.
She also turned in a solid showing at last month’s B.C. Women’s Amateur at Beach Grove in Tsawwassen — finishing sixth with rounds of 75-70-76-74. Right in front of her was Lee (76-73-74-71) thanks to a 1-under final round.
