Leduc, Alta. – Sarah Armstrong and Charlie Gillespie emerged victorious in the NextGen Western Championship held at Leduc Golf Club in Leduc, Alberta.
The tournament, consisting of 54 holes of stroke play, was the third event in the NextGen Championship series and featured an initial field of 156 players (105 boys, 51 girls). Following 36 holes, the field was narrowed down to the top 47 boys and 23 girls, including those tied for positions.
In the Junior Girls Division, Sarah Armstrong from Medicine Hat, Alberta, finished the tournament at 10-over par after shooting a 1-over 72 on Sunday to claim the championship. Armstrong, who trailed by three shots going into the final round, secured a one-shot victory over Jenny Guo from West Vancouver, British Columbia.
Armstrong expressed her delight, stating, “I’m very happy. This has been a great week. I’m very much looking forward to playing in the Canadian Junior and hopefully the Women’s Amateur out in B.C. It will be a great trip.”
Winning rounds of 72-79-72-223, Armstrong clinched the title and earned a spot in the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship. Jenny Guo, the runner-up at 11-over par, and Aastha Savadatti from Calgary, Alberta, who finished third at 13-over, also advanced to the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
In the Junior Boys Division, Charlie Gillespie from Calgary, Alberta, sealed the victory by finishing with a spectacular 7-under 64 on Sunday, ending six shots ahead of Josiah Tong from Heritage Pointe, Alberta. Gillespie took the lead in the opening round and maintained it, concluding the tournament at 11-under par with rounds of 68-70-64-202.
Gillespie expressed his excitement, saying, “Winning out here is huge, this is the biggest title I’ve won so I’m very excited about that. I played in my first Canadian Junior last year, so very excited to play again this year and hopefully to play a bit better.”
Joining Gillespie and Tong at the 2024 Canadian Junior Boys Championship is Michael Song from Red Deer, Alberta, who finished third at 3-over.
The top eight players, along with those tied, in the Junior Girls division have secured exemptions into the 2024 Canadian Junior Girls Championship scheduled for July 22-25 at Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Advancing to Canadian Junior Girls Championship
| Pos. | Player | Residence | Score |
| 1 | Sarah Armstrong | Medicine Hat, Alta. | +10 |
| T2 | Jenny Guo | West Vancouver, B.C. | +11 |
| T3 | Aastha Savadatti | Calgary, Alta. | +13 |
| T3 | Tessa Ion | Calgary, Alta. | +13 |
| T3 | Karrisa Yuehan Zhao | West Vancouver, B.C. | +13 |
| 6 | Sydney Bisgrove | Calgary, Alta. | +15 |
| 7 | Kali Yeske | Calgary, Alta. | +16 |
| T8 | Charlotte Tam | Burnaby B.C | +20 |
| T8 | Olivia Johnson | Calgary, Alta. | +20 |
In the Junior Boys division, the top eight players have earned exemptions into the 2024 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, which will take place from August 13-16 at Innisfail Golf Club in Innisfail, Alberta.
Advancing to Canadian Junior Boys Championship
| Pos. | Player | Residence | Score |
| 1 | Charlie Gillespie | Calgary, Alta. | -11 |
| 2 | Josiah Tong | Heritage Pointe, Alta. | -5 |
| T3 | Michael Song | Red Deer, Alta. | +3 |
| T3 | Brett Jones | Calgary, Alta. | +3 |
| T5 | Max Osten | Delta, B.C. | +4 |
| T5 | Tobias Buffam | Calgary, Alta. | +4 |
| T5 | Ryan Gillis | Calgary, Alta. | +4 |
| T5 | Tate Bruggeman | Edmonton, Alta | +4 |
About the NextGen Championships
The NextGen Championships are a series of high-performance junior golf tournaments comprising six competitions. These championships, held from May to July across Canada, provide the best junior golfers in the region with a platform to compete for exemptions into their respective 2024 national championships. This series offers junior golfers an opportunity to enhance and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.
