Caledon’s Bavake Sihota claims Mizuno National Championship

Written By JAKE COURTEPATTE

Mother nature was no match for Bavake Sihota at the Mizuno National Junior Championship late last month.

The Caledon native took to the biggest stage of the Canadian Junior Golf Association at Cardinal lakes Golf Club in Welland to take home the top prize in the Under-19 junior division, by a whopping ten strokes over his closest opponent.

Yet it was a constant battering of rain and wind in round one that was the toughest opponent, where Sihota was able to card an opening round of 67, the first day of a grueling four-round task.

Facing a field of 64 in the division, it was good enough for a three stroke lead heading into Wednesday.

“I just put the ball on the fairway, and played steady golf” said Sihota regarding his opening round. “I didn't make a bogey, so I was just hitting it straight.”

From round two on, it was consistency that maintained Sihota's separation from the rest of the pack, firing a two-over 74 in round two to maintain the lead when the field was cut to just around thirty golfers.

He finished off the tournament with a steady pair of rounds at 73 and 72 to earn the double digit win over the runner-up finisher, an athlete from the Bahamas.

What was the key to such a monumental victory? Sihota claims it was “playing according to the weather conditions” throughout the tournament. 

“I had to play strategically and use my strengths to overcome unideal situations,” said Sihota. “Throughout the tournament, I would say I had full control of my swing and put the ball in good position off the tee. However, the windy conditions made it quite tough to make birdies.”

Birdies certainly proved difficult for the talented field of golfers, with Sihota finishing the tournament as the only player under par in the division. It was a birdie on the ninth hole in the third round, to regain an eight-shot lead, which had Sihota confident he had clinched the championship.

“I felt like the tournament was in my hands.”

With a number of CJGA tournaments under his belt just this season alone, as well as appearances on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour and Future Links events, Sihota is no stranger to the big stage. The seventeen-year old has been golfing since the age of nine, and according to the World Amateur Golf Rankings, is now ranked in the top five in the Under-19 category in Canada as well as the top two in Ontario.

As for what the future holds for the up-and-coming champion, he has his sights set on an NCAA scholarship to a Division I school.