Playing with a nine-stroke lead heading into the second and final round of the Junior Simon Fraser Open Sunday at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club, Cody Bailey wasn’t about to make it any easier for the rest of the field.
Even though it was his cousin who had the best shot at catching up to him.
Family ties only go so far and as much as Bailey likes Ty Giesbrecht, his 15-year-old cousin from Terrace, there was no way he was going to let him stand in the way of repeating as champion of the city’s most prestigious junior golf tournament.
On a blustery Sunday, Bailey carded a two-under-par 69 to win the tournament with a six-under score of 136. Giesbrecht was next in line, finishing second (72-77-149), while Natasha Kozlowski, last year’s runner-up, finished third (76-74-150).
In both rounds Bailey was better on the back nine at PGGCC, shooting 32 each day. He took 37 strokes on the front Sunday, needing just 35 on a cool rainy Saturday.
“Today the front nine was rough and I was a bit shaky – the wind was a little bit bad,” said Bailey. “But on the back nine I beared down and shot three-under on the back.”
Bailey says he’s getting used to the pressure that comes with being the early leader.
“I knew I was going to be around the lead but I didn’t think I’d take that big of a lead. I was just hoping to be around even par, which is 71 and I just played really well both days,” he said.
Bailey’s best shot of the tournament came Sunday, on his tee shot on No. 14, a 130-yard par 3, shooting at a green bordered by two water hazards and a sandtrap.
“That was the first hole I birdied on the back nine and that got things rolling for me and I made two more birdies after that to finish out,” the 17-year-old Bailey said. “It was a bit into the wind and I hit a knockdown pitching wedge and it was about four feet to the right of the pin.”
That came just after he hit his worst tee shot of the weekend on No. 13. He went into the rough to the left with his drive and found the trap with his approach but managed to pull out a par. He set himself up for a birdie on the par 5 No. 16 with a drive that cut the corner and traveled close to 340 yards, leaving him about 150 yards from the pin.
He was on top of his short game all weekend.
“Putting was the best part of my game,” he said. “I’ve been getting some lessons from Blair (Scott), the pro here, and I’m trying some new drills with him and watching some videos.”
Giesbrecht has been watching Bailey swing golf clubs and hockey sticks for as long as he can remember. Bailey was born in Prince Rupert but moved to Terrace when he was six and lived there until he and his family moved to Prince George when he was 10.
“It’s amazing playing with him, he’s such a role model for me, it’s so fun,” said Giesbrecht, who started golfing when he was seven.
“I was really happy with this weekend, especially how I played yesterday – one-over, the best I’ve ever played here. I’ve been playing well recently so it’s good to peak at the right time. My long game’s been solid and I putted well (Saturday). I don’t think I missed one inside of eight feet. Today I just couldn’t hit the green.”
Kozlowski has seen enough of Bailey in action to know she didn’t have a hope of catching up to him Sunday. Her goal was just to improve on her first round and she did that, by two strokes.
“I wasn’t happy with my putting this weekend, that killed me a little bit,” she said. “I missed so many I should have made. I’ve been working a lot this year and I haven’t golfed as many rounds as would have liked to before this tournament.
“I was hitting greens and stuff today and I just couldn’t get the putter hot, it was so disappointing.”
Kozlowski picked up a new driver this year, a Ping G400, and she’s now clubbing the ball 250 yards.
“It’s sweet, I love it,” she said.
Bailey won the Junior Simon Fraser title last year but the trophy was misplaced and hadn’t been updated with a new name plaque since 2005. Scott said the missing names will be added to the trophy, which dates back to 1995.
“We’re going to update it,” said Scott. “We haven’t had it out since 2005. We just found it.”
Bailey will be busy this summer playing at least three events on the Maple Leaf Junior Tour. He’s also qualified for the B.C. junior boys championship in Kamloops, July 3-6, and the 16th B.C. amateur championship at Rivershore Golf Club in Kamloops, July 10-13. If his schedule will allow it he also plans to play in the Men’s Simon Fraser Open, Aug. 17-19.
Three others who teed off over the weekend at the Junior Simon – Ryan Murray of Quesnel, and Prince George golfers Ben Dyck and Matthew Macsemniuk – made the cut for the Zone 8 team at the junior provincial event, while Giesbrecht will represent Zone 7. Murray finished fourth (82-75-157), Dyck was fifth (80-78-158) and Macsemniuk placed sixth (74-84-158).
Kozlowski, 16, qualified for the B.C. junior girls championship, July 3-6 in Kimberley. She hopes to get another crack at the Ladies Simon Fraser Open when it comes to the PGGCC, Aug. 11-12. Last year she finished second, five strokes behind Kamloops teaching pro Lindsay MacDermott. Kozlowski travels the tournament circuit with her dad, Duane, and they will be heading to Chilliwack this weekend.
