ST. CATHARINES, Ont. – The tenth playing of the World Junior Girls Golf Championship gets underway on Wednesday from St. Catharines Golf and Country Club in St. Catharines, Ont.
Following the tournament’s media day, Golf Canada sat down with members of the media who played the course to get their thoughts on what is in store for the field as well as who they’re picking for the week.
Golf Canada (GC) – Thanks for sitting down with us. First question is about the golf course. Taking your past experiences into account and playing on media day, what was your impression of the course? How does it shape up for the tournament?
Garry McKay, Hamilton Spectator – Designed by Canadian Golf Hall of Fame architect Stanley Thompson just a year or so before he died the St. Catharines Golf & Country Club is a wonderful example of his work. While the course, generally, is pretty flat there is a broad valley that runs through the property and Thompson, as he wanted to do, has highlighted the valley with holes that run over, around, into and through the valley. These holes, and the changes in elevation, will provide a challenge for all the players especially if it is windy.
Kristen Murphy, TSN – My first impression of the course it that it will be a fair test for the junior girls. No blind shots or tricked up holes means everything is in front of them. The course isn’t overly tight off the tee so players can elect to play aggressive in spots or adapt a more conservative style play. With some reachable par 5s for the longer hitters, those holes will provide the ultimate risk / reward scenario.
Jason Logan, SCOREGolf – I’d played St. Catharines once before, around 2010, and remember that I’d enjoyed the day and the par 3s had stood out. Playing it again 15 years later confirmed that impression. It’s a very good golf course with a great set of par 3s and some phenomenal holes that make good use of the dales through the property. It’ll be a good test for the girls and Niagara will be a great location for the tournament with all its amenities and attractions.
GC – What is one club in the bag, or one element of the game that you think will be important for players this week and why?
McKay – The simple answer is the driver especially this week at St. Catharines with five par 5s. Ask any player at a high level what is the key to winning a tournament and they will tell you that it is taking advantage of the par 5s, and at St. Catharines, players who can hit it long off the tee on the par fives and be in the correct area of the fairway will have distinctly better chance of making birdies.
Murphy – Although it might sound cliché, players will need to arrive at St. Catherines with all aspects of their games on point. There are five par 3s and five par 5s that will both demand and test every shot in the bag. For that reason, golfers with the most well-rounded games will be identified. Lastly, taking advantage of the par 5s will be essential to success come week’s end.
Logan – You could say this about any golf course, but I think driver will be important. For the most part, St. Catharines greens are not severe enough to cause players too much trouble. With several holes containing multiple tee boxes offering different angles to fairways, the girls will need a strong tee game to score well.
GC – Aside from Team Canada, what country/team are you keeping an eye on this week?
McKay – The Republic of Korea has produced female golf stars like Se Ri Pak, Jiyai Shin, Inbee Park, So Yeon Rui and Jin Young Ko among others that have gone on to have successful careers on the LPGA Tour. The Republic of Korea has also won this tournament three times, including last year at Credit Valley G&CC and finished runner-up on three other occasions so it will be important to watch them to see who their future stars are.
Murphy – It is impossible to ignore the history of the Korean team at this tournament. The defending champions have won the event on three occasions with three additional second place finishes to boot. Looking a little bit further down the leaderboard so to speak, I will be tracking team Sweden who boast four top three finishes at this tournament.
Logan – The Republic of Korea is an obvious one, based on the country’s ability to develop golfers and history at this tournament. The United States will be strong too.
GC – Again, aside from players on Team Canada, is there one player in the field that you’re watching this week?
McKay – It’s hard not to pick Seojin Park of the Republic of Korea who is 39th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and that’s the best in the field.
Murphy – One player who I will be watching outside of the Canadian crew is Argentina’s Clementina Castaño. Castaño is one of the three Argentinian girls who will be representing her country in this event for the first time. I’m looking forward to seeing how the debut goes for her and her teammates.
Logan – England’s Lauren Crump has a strong resumé, winning her second straight English Girls’ Championship earlier this summer.
GC – Finally, who are your picks to win the team championship and individual title?
McKay – Republic of Korea with Canada 1 as runner-up. Individual, Seojin Park of Korea with Michelle Xing of Canada in second place.
Murphy – Republic of Korea. Track record, experience and pedigree make this team the one to beat, but I do expect a strong challenge from the Canadians and Americans.
Individual, Canada’s Shauna Liu. The 16-year-old has already wracked up multiple wins this season, including a second Canadian Junior Girls Championship last month. It feels like Shauna is peaking at the right time to compete for the win and punch a ticket to the 2026 CPKC Women’s Open.
Logan – Canada, of course! With Shauna Liu capturing the overall title.
GC – Thank you for your insights ahead of the tournament. Friendly reminder, the tournament will kick off on Wednesday, September 17 and admission to 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free for all spectators. For more information on the championship, please click here. To follow the leaderboard during the tournament, please click here.