Bear Mountain hosts world junior qualifiers

Canada battles Mexico, Guatemala and Puerto Rico

Several of the best young golfers in the Americas — including Victoria Nolan Thoroughgood — will be teeing off at Bear Mountain this week in the Toyota Junior World Cup qualifiers.

The 54-hole stroke play tournament is comprised of boys’ and girls’ teams from Canada, Mexico, Guatemala and Puerto Rico. The two-lowest team scores, from both the boys’ and girls’ sides, after Thursday’s final round will qualify for the 2018 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan.

The boys’ division consists of four athletes per team, each submitting a cumulative total from the three lowest scores per round, omitting the highest score.

Canada is represented by its Bear Mountain-based national development team. The national male team includes Thoroughgood, Johnny Travale of Stoney Creek, Ont., Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que., and Peyton Callens of Langton, Ont.

The girls’ division consists of three athletes per national team, with a combined team score counting from the lowest two-per round, with the lowest team score moving on. Playing for the host nation are Team Canada development squad players Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-delîle-Perrot, Que., Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Alyssa DiMarcantonio of Maple, Ont.

The Canadian boys’ and girls’ players live and train full time on the Island at the Golf Canada centralized U-19 training program on Bear Mountain, providing the athletes with an immersive national training centre surrounded by by world-class technical coaching staff and experts in the areas of mental performance, physiotherapy, biomechanics and nutrition.

The Toyota Junior World Cup, takes place June 10-15 at the Chukyo Golf Club in Toyota City, Japan. The world juniors will feature 24 national teams playing 72 holes of stroke play.

The Canadian boys’ team finished 11th at the last world juniors in 2016.

The first tee time at Bear Mountain today is at 8 a.m.