At the Canadian Junior Boys Championship next week on the Battlefield Course at Legends on the Niagara, Trevor Yu will set his sights on playing “lights-out” golf.
What does that mean for the 17-year-old member of the Marine Drive Golf Club?
“Lights-out means everything is going your way and the best thing to do is just try to get out of your own way and let things happen,” he said this week. “Often it’s kind of a flash — you don’t really realize what you’re doing until the end of the round.”
The St. John’s secondary student qualified directly for the national championship with a win at the CN Future Links Western Championship July 1 to 4. He shot five-under over three rounds at the 211-par tournament at the Birchbank Golf Course in Trail.
This will be Yu’s fourth trip to nationals. In 2012, he won the juvenile title and astounded spectators when he carded a course record (for competitive golfers of all ages) 7-under-par 64 at Osprey Ridge Golf Club in Bridgewater, N.S.
“Sometimes you just have those rounds where it’s lights-out and that day was one of them,” he said. “For one or two weeks, I’ll have rounds like that in a year. I’d like to have them more often but it’s always good to have them.”
Although not yet in his senior year, Yu has committed to play for NCAA Division 1 Oregon State University. His immediate goal is to win the Canadian junior national title.
“I’ve been working really hard on my game recently, some pretty regimented and efficient practice,” he said. “I’m really organized, not necessarily practising for a long duration of time but focusing on what I need to work on, like little things in my golf swing. I’m trying to keep my right leg a little quieter through impact and also relaxing my arms when I’m swinging.”
A calm golfer who strives for effortlessness and understands it’s a game that should be enjoyable, Yu knows competition will be deep at junior nationals.
“I try to keep it really light when I play. I never get too angry when I’m on the course. At the end of the day, it’s just a game, really. I’m out there to have fun.”
The Junior Boys Championships run July 29 to Aug. 1 in Niagara Falls, Ont.
Donnici at nationals
Crofton House graduate Marie Donnici, 18, finished second at the CN Future Links Western Championship in Trail with a 16-over-par 232 over three rounds. Prince of Wales’ 15-year-old Natalie Chu tied for third at 17-over.
Surrey’s Songeun Lee won the girls tournament with a 14-over-par 230 and qualified directly for the Junior Girls Championship in Thornhill, Ont.
Donnici and Ashley Cai, both members at the Point Grey Golf Golf and Country Club, qualified for the Junior Girls Championship.
