Sivabalasingham, Shin Win CN Future Links Prairie Title

GAJAN SIVABALASINGHAM AND ALLY SHIN WIN CN FUTURE LINKS PRAIRIE CHAMPIONSHIP

- Sivabalasingham wins by a single shot; Shin holds a wire-to-wire lead -

Morden, Man. (Golf Canada) – Gajan Sivabalasingham of Ballantrae, Ont. and Ally Shin of Coquitlam, B.C. have won their respective divisions at the CN Future Links Prairie Championship at Minnewasta Golf & Country Club in Morden, Man.

In the Junior Boys division, Sivabalasingham, 18, won by a single shot over runner-up Tae Won Kim, 17, of Richmond Hill, Ont. Sivabalasingham converted an eagle on No. 15 along with two birdies on the day for a final round tally of 3-over par 75 and a tournament total of even par 216. Kim led after both the first and second round, but bogeys on No. 16 and No. 18 and a double bogey on No. 17 cost him, giving him a final day total of 7-over par 79 and a three-day score of 1-over par 217.

Stuart MacDonald, 17, of Vancouver finished in third place at 8-over par 224, after a final round score of 3-over par 75. Emile Menard, 17, of Ange-Gardien, Que., Daniel Luftspring, 18, of Toronto and Jake McNulty, 17, of Port Perry, Ont. finished in a three-way tie for fourth position at 13-over par 229.

On the Junior Girls side, Shin, 16, managed to hold off the field with three birdies today for a three-day total of 17-over par 233 and a 10-over par 82 in the final round. A leader after the first and second round, she held off second place finisher Winnie Hyun, 17, of Langley, B.C., to win by three shots.  Hyun scored 8-over par 80 on the day, giving her a tournament total of 20-over par 236. This is Shin’s first win of the 2012 season, with her highest finish this year being a second place at the CJGA – Nike Junior Series Stephen Ames Cup Qualifier in March.

In third position, second round runner-up and Victoria, B.C. native Naomi Ko, 14, came away with a tournament total of 21-over par 237 after a final day of 12-over par 84. Rachel Shi, 16, of Vancouver ended up in fourth position at 23-over par 239, while Sophie Kitchen, 17, of Collingwood, Ont. finished in fifth place at 25-over par 241.

The top six finishers in the Junior Boys division of the CN Future Links Prairie Championship – Kim, Sivabalasingham, MacDonald, Menard, Luftspring, and McNulty – earn exemptions into the 2012 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, which will take place from July 30 – August 3 at Osprey Ridge Golf Club in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.  Shin earns an exemption into the 2012 Royale Cup Canadian Junior Girls Championship at River Spirit Golf Club in Calgary.

Note to Media – Photographs of Gajan Sivabalasingham and Ally Shin are available here. (Photo Credit – Golf Canada/Doug Friesen)

The following are final round results from the 2012 CN Future Links Prairie Championship on Thursday, June 28, 2012:

Junior Boys Division

1. Gajan Sivabalasingham, Ballantrae, ON, 69-72-75-216 E

2. Tae Won Kim, Richmond Hill, ON, 68-70-79-217 +1

3. Stuart MacDonald, Vancouver, BC, 74-75-75-224 +8

4. Emile Menard, Ange-Gardien, QC, 77-79-73-229 +13

4. Daniel Luftspring, Toronto, ON, 78-72-79-229 +13

4. Jake McNulty, Port Perry, ON, 77-72-80-229 +13