15-year-old Eileen Park of Red Deer at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship this past week in Vancouver. (Golf Canada/Alexandra Beacock)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

aiming for new heights

Red Deer’s Eileen Park believes in strong game ahead of Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship

Jul 27, 2024 | 12:46 PM

Red Deer’s Eileen Park, 15, had a tough finish but still placed sixth this week at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Vancouver’s Marine Drive Golf Club.

It’s just the latest positive result for Park who looks on track to be one of Canada’s best young golfers in the years to come.

Park, the tournament’s defending champion, won the Alberta Women’s Amateur Championship earlier this July in Calgary.

On this occasion, she was tied with two others at -1 going into the fourth and final round.

One was eventual winner Shauna Liu of Maple, Ontario, and the other was Swetha Sathish of Oakville, Ontario, who went +6 on the final day to finish T-7th.

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For Park, she had a commendable tournament, going +4 on day one, before shooting an even second round, and then going -5 on day three.

Her 67 that day was the best round of the tournament by any competitor.

But on the final day, Park shot +5, to drop back down to +4 for the tournament, six shots off the pace.

“”Everybody has good days and tough days. When I have good days, I try not to get too excited, and I did get a little bit too excited. That’s why I had a tough round four,” says Park. “I try to let go of it, not overthink things, and get ready for the next tournament.”

Park’s short game has been her strength as of late, and she says if that holds together, this coming week at the 110th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship could be a great one.

That tournament takes place at Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria, B.C., and is one she’s not new to.

Last year, Park placed T-40th, and the year prior, she missed the cut.

The Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship is set for July 29 to August 2.

“My game right now is pretty solid,” says Park, one of nine Team Canada NextGen athletes in the field. “Going into this tournament, I am trying to not focus too much on others and other things, just my game. I don’t put too much pressure on myself because it’s a pretty strong field this year.”

With the CPKC Women’s Open in Calgary this week, and the Olympics tournament upcoming, Park admits she hopes to be there someday.

Other locals in the Vancouver tournament this past week included Saylar May of Rocky Mountain House, who finished T-27th with a score of +22. May moved up eight spots on the final day with a round of +4.

Coryn Tardif of Sylvan Lake unfortunately missed the cut. Tardif finished 31st at the Alberta Women’s Amateur earlier in July.

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