By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf

SECHELT, B.C. (August 22, 2024) - Other than the circumstances, it was not a particularly difficult approach shot that Tim Hachey faced on the final hole of the B.C. Juvenile Boys Championship.

It was 91 yards, so Hachey grabbed his 56-degree wedge and after a couple of deep breaths, took dead aim at the pin and let it fly. “I thought it was long, to be honest with you,” Hachey said.

Turned out it was nearly perfect.

“It bounced just short and took a peak at the hole and rolled past to about three feet,” Hachey said of the shot that won the championship for the 16-year-old Osoyoos resident.

Hachey and Kelowna’s Finley Dober had staged quite the duel the final day and were tied as they arrived at the 18th tee. Hachey knocked his wedge close after watching Dober stick his approach shot to within about 10 feet of the pin. After Dober just missed his birdie putt, Hachey knew the championship was his if he could convert his short birdie putt. It wasn’t exactly a gimme.

“It broke quite a bit left to right,” Hachey said. “I had to start it about a ball outside the left edge.” The putt dropped into the centre of the cup and Hachey earned what he described as the biggest win of his life. There were signs it was coming. Hachey had quietly put together a solid summer. It started with a tie for fourth at the Notah Begay National Championship in Montreal.

“After that I gained quite a bi† of confidence in my game,” Hachey said. “I have been playing pretty solid.” Hachey, who is heading into Grade 12 at Osoyoos Secondary and plays out of Osoyoos Golf Club,, qualified to play in the Canadian Men’s Amateur earlier this month in Saskatoon. He missed the cut by two shots but felt comfortable playing on a bigger stage.

He followed that up with a tie for 23rd finish at last week’s Canadian Junior Boys Championship in Innisfail, Alta., where he was in contention the opening two rounds. “He keeps progressing,” said Hachey’s dad (and coach) Wayne. “He got into the Canadian Men’s Amateur a couple of weeks ago and it gave him a lot of confidence. Then he played well last week at the Canadian Junior. . .It’s all a progression. You just try to learn every step of the way.”

Hachey closed with a three-under 69 at Blue Ocean to finish the tournament at seven-under par. He credited his strong tee game with helping him get across the finish line. Many of Blue Ocean’s fairways are lined with long, thick fescue grass that is tough to hit out of. If you can find your ball.

“I put it in play on every hole,” Hachey said. “I didn’t lose a ball and that helps on a course like this. I just hit the driver well. I have a driving iron and I also hit that a lot. I left myself a lot of wedges in.”

Hachey began the day with a one-shot lead but fell behind his good friend Dober on the front nine. Hachey regained the lead, but Dober pulled even with a birdie on the par 3 17th hole. “That was a good match,” Hachey said. “It was different because he is my friend, but it was fun.”

He called it the most significant win of his young career. “I have been close a couple of times,” he said. “In the B.C. Bantam two years ago, I was playing very good and kind of had a rough finish there, so it’s nice to get one.”

Noah Reddicopp of Abbotsford finished third at two-under par after closing with a one-under 71. The Juvenile Championship is open to players aged 16 and younger. Sixty boys competed at Blue Ocean.

Aidan Liu of Richmond and Oscar Yu of West Vancouver won a two-player better-ball competition that was also contested at Blue Ocean. Their 54-hole score of 16-under par was one better than the twin brother-sister team of Jack and Jenny Guo of West Vancouver.

A 36-hole Zone competition was won by the Zone 2 team of Hachey, DJ Crowe of Armstrong and Joshua Laverdiere of Kelowna.

Click HERE for complete final scoring.