Parksville junior golfer Aidan Goodfellow has been playing consistently well lately.
It hasn’t resulted in a win yet, but the 16-year-old golfer from Parksville has been on the brink of achieving that goal twice already this season.
The Grade 11 student from Parksville has been competing in the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour this season and just fell short of landing first place in back-to-back tournaments.
At the Humber College PGM Classic at Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey, Goodfellow came so close, losing only by a stroke to juvenile division champion and overall boys champion Tony Li of Vancouver. Goodfellow shot 74 and 75 for a 148 total.
Then at the MJT Ford Series at the Chilliwack Golf Club, Aidan was in fine form again but ended up in second place again, three strokes back of John Morrow of Delta, who claimed the juvenile boys crown.
In two rounds of golf, Goodfellow recorded 77 and 74 for a 151 total.
Goodfellow has mixed feelings over his second place results.
“I am a little bit disappointed but I guess they’re both pretty good as well,” said Goodfellow.
The experience, he added, can only help him as he embarks on a series of golf tournaments that include a quest to qualify at the Canadian Junior Championships.
“I am going to be playing major tournaments in both those two courses later in the year so I was kinda trying to get the feel for the course,” said Goodfellow. “I got to do that so I am glad I played well there.”
Goodfellow has been playing golf for seven years and has been honing his game at the Pheasant Glen Golf course. He wants to practise five days a week but it’s not that easy for this busy young man.
It’s a juggling act for Goodfellow. Aside from worrying about his responsibilities at school and SATs, he also works at the Shady Rest Restaurant in Qualicum Beach. So he tries to squeeze in golf time whenever he can.
This year he is focusing on doing well at two major tournaments. One is the United States junior qualifier in Canby, Oregon in June, and the other is to finish in the top 13 at the B.C. Junior Golf Championships and earn a berth in the Canadian Junior Championships, which he did last year.
Goodfellow said he was quite excited to make the nationals that were held in Newfoundland last year. He missed the cut by a stroke and he was disappointed. But he got to learn what to do in future tournaments.
“I played badly in the opening round but in the second I did much better,” said Goodfellow.
“I just needed to relax. If I have to play well I just can’t tense up.”
Goodfellow will be heading back to Chilliwack this coming weekend to play in the Future Links. It’s three days of golf and he is hoping to do well there again.
