Uplands Golf Club member Akari Hayashi is the new British Columbia Golf bantam girls champion after a come-from-behind win last week at the Bowen Island Golf Club.
The nine-hole course provided plenty of challenges for the young competitors in the 14-and-younger division.
Hayashi, entering Grade 9 at Mount Douglas secondary, rebounded from an opening round 6-over 76 to record the girls’ only under-par round in the tournament at 1-under 69, and a seven-shot win over her closet competitor, Claire Lovan of Surrey.
It was Hayashi’s first win in a B.C. Golf Championship event after serving notice for several years that the now 13-year-old would be a force on the girls’ circuit. She’s happy to finally be in the winner’s circle. “Yeah, I’ve been second for a while,” she said with a laugh.
After starting slowly with a 6-over par first round she got back to her steady game in round two, relying on her iron play which was truly evident in how she took on the course’s six par 3s, playing them in 4-under par to help offset three bogies.
On the boys side, Victoria Golf Club member Daniel Bennett finished tied for 43rd place.