Skip to content

Young Surrey golfer shoots 66 on mini-tour stop

Surrey’s Jonathan Xia wins U8 boys division
13233230_web1_Jonathon-Xia-8U-winner
Jonathon Xia shot a 66 to win the U8 boys division at a Maple Leaf Junior Golf mini-tour event in Richmond last weekend. (Contributed photo)

One of Surrey’s youngest competitive golfers had a round to remember last weekend at an MJT Mini Tour golf tournament in Richmond.

Surrey’s Jonathon Xia, 8, shot the low round of the weekend in the under-8 boys competition at Greenacres Golf Course, firing a 66 on a modified-yardage 3,000-yard course. Xia’s round – the best of his young career – included eight birdies and one eagle, and put him eight shots ahead of second-place golfer Matthew Cui of Burnaby.

“I am very happy about today – I chipped in for eagle on the last hole and shot my best round ever,” Xia said in a Maple Leaf Golf Tour news release.

Xia was not the only Surrey golfer to make an impact on the leaderboards at Greenacres last weekend, however.

In the girls 9- to10-year-old division, Surrey’s Ha Young Chang, 10, edged Kelowna’s Tierra Elchuk – in a showdown that took a playoff hole to decide.

The youngsters were tied at 82 after 18 holes, which sent both into a playoff. Chang birdied the first playoff hole to earn the victory.

“I feel amazing,” she said after sinking her final shot. “I knew I had to putt really well to win. I am very happy to play in this tournament, which gave me great experience.”

Another playoff showdown decided the event’s girls 11-12 division, as South Surrey’s Kaitlyn Anderson and Coquitlam’s June Hsiao – both 11 years old – found themselves tied at the conclusion of 18 holes, each carding scores of 77.

In the end, Hsiao’s par on the first playoff hole was the difference, while Anderson finished second.