Virtually unheard of before the tournament, 15-year-old Nolan Thoroughgood of Royal Colwood became the youngest player to win the sa国际传媒 men鈥檚 amateur title when he took the 2016 crown Friday at Pheasant Glen with a final-round even-par 72 for a four-round total of minus-seven 281.
It was the 114th sa国际传媒 Amateur and never has the venerable tournament seen anything like it saw this week.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 really feel real,鈥� said Thoroughgood, who鈥檚 heading into Grade 11 at Royal Bay Secondary.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 say I was expecting this, but I鈥檒l gladly take it. I was definitely nervous, but I wasn鈥檛 as nervous as I thought I would be. I managed that well.鈥�
It helped having his dad, Garth Thoroughgood, as caddy during the week.
鈥淗aving my dad on the bag kept me calm,鈥� said Thoroughgood.
Others to have lifted the Bostock Cup are Fred Couples in 1979, James Lepp four times, A.V. Macan twice and fellow-Islanders such as Bryan Toth in 2006, Gord Scutt in 2000, Darren Griff in 1994, Ed Beauchemin in 1984, Steve Berry in 1981 and Sandy Harper in 1980, among others.
鈥淭here are some big names on that trophy and I鈥檓 proud to be a part of it.鈥�
The question is now being asked how far this young prodigy can take this.
鈥淚 love the game and I work hard at it,鈥� said Thoroughgood.
鈥淭hat combination could take me far. I dream about the PGA Tour but I鈥檓 not going to push things if they are not there for me.鈥�
The U.S. collegiate NCAA is definitely an option in the fall of 2018 following Grade 12 at Royal Bay.
鈥淓ducation comes first,鈥� said Thoroughgood.
The teen champion celebrated his provincial amateur title Friday evening by watching sister Macey, 13, play softball in Duncan and then 鈥渏ust hanging around with my friends.鈥�
A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam was a torrid 5-under 67 Friday to race up the board and clinch second place with a 283 total. Zach Anderson from Nanaimo, heading into his junior NCAA season in the Pac-12 with the Washington State Cougars, closed with a plus-two 74 but still had enough cushion to hang on to third place with a 284. Kaleb Gorbahn of Smithers was shot a 3-under 69 for fourth overall at 286, with four tied at 287 for fifth place. Cracking the top 10, both tied at ninth with 288 totals, were Nate Ollis of Cordova Bay and Cobble Hill鈥檚 Brent Wilson of Gorge Vale.
鈥淚 played smart golf and kept the ball in front of me,鈥� said Thoroughgood, of his run to the provincial amateur title.
The top three of Thoroughgood, Ewart and Anderson will represent sa国际传媒 in the Willingdon Cup at the Canadian amateur championships Aug. 8-11 at Royal Ottawa in Gatinea, Que.
