Among the 37 hopefuls at the under-19 B.C. junior championship is Zaya Baines of Langford, who at 14 is already aiming for big things.
Thirty-seven dreams were launched from the first tee Tuesday as the best Under-19 girls golfers in the province began the 2025 B.C. junior championship that will run 72 holes through Friday at Gorge Vale Golf Club.
Among the 37 hopefuls is Zaya Baines of Langford, who is only 14 and already aiming for big things. It was between golf and competitive dance for the Royal Bay Secondary student and she has already decided on what will be the major and what will be the minor in her young life.
“I love dance, especially hip-hop, but my dream is to play NCAA Div. 1 golf at the University of Hawaii,” said Baines.
That’s very specific — but who wouldn’t want that backdrop for their collegiate career?
Baines also doesn’t exactly have bad scenery on her home Bear Mountain course: “Playing at sunset on Bear Mountain with my dad is so calming and relaxing.”
But balancing golf and dance makes for a hectic young life. “Because of dance and also basketball at school, I’ve not always had the time I want to devote to golf. So sometimes my dad and I will play 36 holes on a Saturday.”
She knows golf will grow in primacy for her as her main focus and the other things will likely need to fade into the background if she wants to play in the NCAA or U Sports.
“I love the game and being outside with people,” said Baines.
“I love the way golf challenges you physically and mentally. Most of all, it’s a very mental game.”
Baines first qualified for the B.C. junior championship as a 12-year-old and two years later remains one of the youngest players in the B.C. junior tournament. She said her goal this week is to make the cut and finish in the top five and then vie for the championship in future years. She will have plenty of opportunities as she is eligible for four more years after this one.
The top finishers at the provincials at Gorge Vale will advance to the 2025 Canadian junior girls’ championship Aug. 13-16 in Sainte-Marie, Que. The B.C. team of Amy Lee, Ha Young Chang of Surrey and Chelsea Truong of Victoria, an NCAA Div. 1 sophomore with the University of New Mexico Lobos, won the Canadian junior team championship last year in the national tournament played at Marine Drive in Vancouver.
Truong has aged out of the junior class, while last year’s B.C. junior champion, the 17-year-old Lee, is giving this year’s tournament a pass due to a conflicting points tournament in the U.S. But she left quite a record to chase for this year’s group as Lee blew away the 2024 B.C. junior tournament at Gallagher’s Canyon in Kelowna with a head-spinning, record-breaking 18-stroke victory to show why many have the prodigy pegged as the next big thing out of B.C. in golf.
CHIP SHOTS:Zhehui Yu of Burnaby shot a sizzling 9-under par 64 on Tuesday to sit atop the leaderboard. She has a seven-shot lead over Jenny Kwon of Vancouver. Anna Wu of Victoria is in third after an even-par 73. … Gorge Vale will be busy the next two years with championship events. The 125th B.C. men’s amateur tournament will be hosted at the Craigflower Road club in 2027 to celebrate the A.V. Macan-designed course’s centenary.
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