Beach Grove Golf Club junior member Russell Howlett capped an impressive stretch in the Okanagan heat last month by nearly being crowned a provincial champion.
The 18-year-old, fresh off graduation from South Delta Secondary, finished second in the B.C. Junior Boys Championship, played July 28-30 on the Bear Course at the Okanagan Golf Club. Howlett fired rounds of 70-75-69 to finish a single stroke back of Victoria’s William Bishop. With a limited schedule due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event coincided with the 108th B.C. Men’s Amateur which Howlett’s score was good enough for eighth overall, just six shots back of winner Tristan Mandur from Duncan.
Other local players in the junior boys field included Gonzaga University bound Jace Minni who was ninth with rounds of 76-74-70. Adrian Murray was 19th after firing rounds of 75-76-74.
Howlett began a three tournament stretch with his first-ever victory on the Maple Leaf Junior Tour, capturing the MJT Ford Series stop at Predator Ridge in Vernon. He recorded rounds of 74-71 to edge Kelowna’s Kyle Mayner by one stroke in the Junior Boys Division.
Beach Grove’s Charlie Derrheim was third in the Bantam Boys Division with rounds of 75-69, finishing three shots back of Vernon’s Ryan Vest.
The tour then shifted over to the Okanagan Golf Club where Howlett placed third in the PLYR Golf stop behind Mayner with rounds of 75-70.
