Vaughan, Thornhill junior golfers take top prizes at Victoria Day spring classic

Vaughan Citizen
May 20, 2014
By Michael Hayakawa

A pair of York Region residents ruled the fairways at the 2014 Golf Association of Ontario Investors Group Junior Spring Classic Monday.

Vaughan resident Tony Gil won the boys’ competition at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge while Thornhill resident Selena Costabile claimed the girls’ championship at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club in Stouffville.

Gil, 16, was in a tie for the lead after Sunday’s second round with Sutton resident Carter Simon.

However, Gil recorded one of the lowest rounds in Monday’s third round after carding a four-under par 68 to finish the tournament at seven-under.

Simon finished Monday’s final round at one-under 71 for a tournament total of four-under.

“My iron play was right on throughout the week. I made a lot of good putts and didn’t make any big mistakes, so it was a good week for me,” Gil said on the Golf Association of Ontario’s website. “The first three birdies on 10, 11 and 12 was a confidence booster and turned my game on. I was a little nervous on the first tee and cold topped it but I just thought to myself that there were 17 holes to go and anything could happen.”

Along with winning the junior title, Gil claimed the juvenile division crown.

In the girls’ division, Kingsville resident Alyssa Getty took a one-shot lead into the final round, but quickly relinquished it.

Getty bogeyed the first hole while Costabile recorded back-to-back birdies to take the lead.

Costabile went on to birdie four on the back nine and finished with a confortable three-shot victory.

She ended the day three-under for a tournament total of two under.

Getty was one-over for the day and the event.

“I played really well today which helped me close the victory,” said Costabile. “My putts were rolling really well the past three days and most of the credit for my win is because of my putting. After nine holes I was behind but once I started making those birdies on the back nine I knew I had a good chance to win. Birdieing my first two holes, especially the second, was a huge confidence boost, even though I double bogeyed six. I was able to make a few good putts later and it all turned out okay.”

The Investors Group Junior Spring Classic Championship is a 54-hole stroke-play competition contested annually over the Victoria Day long weekend that features many of Ontario's best male and female junior golfers. The field of competitors gained entry to the competition through a qualifying process earlier in the season.