Wesley Day Becomes First Canadian to Win George Holliday Tournament

December 2, 2013

Wesley Day won the George Holliday TournamentWesley Day of Ajax, Ontario, parred the third extra hole Saturday to become the first overall boys’ champion from outside the United States in the 45th year of the annual George Holliday Memorial Junior Golf Tournament.
 
Day, who made a 30-footer for par on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff at Myrtle Beach National’s West Course to stay alive, outlasted 13-year-old Trent Phillips of Inman, S.C., after the two players tied at 1-under-par 215 after 54 holes. Day shot 72 on his final regulation round on the West Course. Phillips closed with 71 on the SouthCreek Course.
 
Reona Hirai of Summerville successfully defended her girls’ overall title, winning with a 3-under 213 total. Kelli Murphy of Elgin, S.C., was second at 219. More than 200 juniors ages 10 through 18 from throughout the United States as well as Mexico and Venezuela competed.
 
“I set a goal to be the first international winner,” said the 17-year-old Day, who has made the 14-hour drive to the Holliday tournament the past four years. “When I first came down here people said they had never seen a Canadian or anyone from outside the United States in this tournament. I’m happy to be the first Canadian to win.”
 
Phillips, who played the same tees of the three same courses on different days as the boys’ 14-18 field, missed a 4-foot par putt on the third playoff hole after running his 20-footer for birdie past the cup. His 15-year-old brother Trevor Phillips finished at 219.
 
Akshay Bhatia of Wake Forest, N.C., shot perhaps the best round of the final day, 65 on the West Course, to post a tournament-best 209 in the boys’ 10-11 division, which played a course under 6,000 yards.
 
Thomas Hogan of St. Simons Island, Ga., won the boys’ 12-13 age division with 222.
 
Girls’ winners included: Alicia Porvasink of Hinckley, Ohio, 257 in girls’ 13-14 and Elizabeth Coffren of Owings, Md., 298 in girls’ 10-12.  
 
Defending boys’ overall champion Jonathan Hardee of Greer, who opened with 68 at the King’s North Course, shot 73 Saturday on the West Course to finish one stroke behind Day and Trent Phillips. Hardee tied Davis Richards of China Grove, N.C., who closed with 68.

 

Photo Courtesy of The Sun News