By Chad Klassen

Best junior golfers vying for Canadian national berths

May 12, 2016 | 5:27 PM

KAMLOOPS — The best junior golfers from across Canada are in Kamloops until Sunday, competing at the Dunes in the first of six regional championships this summer leading up to the National Junior Championships in St. John’s, Newfoundland in August.

It’s the CN Future Links Pacific Championship that officially tees off on Friday morning, 

“This tournament here, the top six junior boys and junior girls are an exemption into their respective Canadian Junior Championships,” says tournament organizer Dan Hyatt from Golf Canada. “There’s a lot of players, 120 players. 87 junior boys, 33 junior girls that are vying for one of those six spots. But you also want to be crowned a champion, too.”

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At the Dunes this week is the 2015 Canadian Junior champion from Quebec, Charles-Eric Belanger, who’s beginning his quest for a second straight title. It’s his first tournament ever in B.C. 

“B.C. is more like mountain courses, so it’s going to be a bit more windy this week,” says Belanger, who’s just 16 years old. “But we practiced a lot this winter and I think we’re pretty much ready for this event. It’s going to be fun.”

Belanger, who’s only 16 years old, is part of the Canadian Junior Development team, the most elite junior golfers in the country. Their coach Robert Ratcliffe works to keep them sharp all year. 

“I take the guys down south in the winter for training in places like Florida, Phoenix, and Texas,” says Ratcliffe. “We travel internationally to tournaments like the South American Ameteur, which Charles and my other athlete, Jack Simpson, played in January.”

But there are other very good golfers as well. Three are from Kamloops, including Terry Cousineau who actually works at the Dunes. Jordan and Matt Bean are brothers competing from Canmore, Alberta. 

“I played in the Prairie Future Links Championship last year and it was a lot of fun. I won in a playoff to get the sixth-place exemption, so it was pretty fun,” says Matt. 

Matt played in the National Junior Championship in Quebec last year. He made the cut and finished 73rd. The Future Links has help him to improve his game and led him to the NCAA. 

“I’ve committed to Minot State in NCAA Division II,” says the 17-year-old. “Hopefully that can get me through my four years of university and see how I can go from there.”

That’s the trajectory Belanger is on, with Division I schools already interested. 

“I’m still just playing golf and not focusing on what’s next with college or university,” says Belanger. “But I’m interested in some universities.”