Rain and wind greeted 28 of the best junior golfers from the West and East Kootenays on Saturday for the first two rounds of the Johnny Bucyk Championship.
The junior golfers tore through 36 holes of golf on the tough Creston golf course on Saturday in very wet and windy conditions, and then another 18 on Sunday.
When the final putt was made, Jared duToit from Kimberly took medalist honors with rounds of 73, 77, and 71 for a total of five over par, and Braden McKay from the Rossland-Trail Country Club finished first in the 14 and under divisions with rounds of 84, 75, and 86.
The Kimberley golfer made very few mistakes over the three rounds and his putting was outstanding.
He made numerous putts in the 12- to 15-foot range to save pars and when he had the opportunity he rolled in birdie putts, making nine over the three rounds.
It has been an outstanding start to the 2012 golf season for du Toit, capped off by a first-place finish in the MJT Morgan Creek tournament that earned him an exemption into the world junior held in San Diego in July. He then placed second at the CN Pacific junior golf tournament, which won him a pass into the Canadian Juniors in Nova Scotia.
McKay was the West Kootenay local junior circuit medalist last week at Redstone and he finished the Johnny Bucyk 19 shots ahead of Nolan Renwick from Nelson, who finished second in the U-14 division.
McKay’s 75 Saturday was the second best round of the day, a remarkable score considering it was his second 18 of the day and scored in very wet and windy conditions.
Finishing second in the 15 - 18 year division was Joel Tremendue from Cranbrook who finished nine shots back of du Toit. Scott Merriam also from Cranbrook took third.
Ethan Paton from Salmo tied for second with Renwick in the U-14 group.
The top three finishers in each age division earned exemptions into the CJGA PING Canadian Junior Match Play Championship and the Mizuno National Junior Golf Championship. Both events will be held later in July in Ontario.