GRAVENHURST - Gravenhurst’s Remington Fielding was among the top golfers teeing off in the first tour event of the BAGS (Bay Area Golfing Series) Junior Golf Tour on May 22.
The teen tied for third with five other golfers in the juvenile boys (14-16 years) division, shooting an 82. He was three strokes off the winner on the 5,876-yard course at Simoro Golf Links in Barrie.
Fielding, 15, has been golfing for three years. He was introduced to the sport by a friend.
Also a hockey goalie, Fielding says golf is something he enjoys doing in the summer, almost daily at Muskoka Sands Golf Course in Gravenhurst.
He competed in three or four events last year on the BAGS tour where his best finish was ninth.
A Metroland Media-sponsored event, BAGS is a grassroots development tour available to junior golfers ages 10 through 18. The tour is dedicated to offering junior golfers affordable opportunities to compete, learn and develop their skills in a competitive, yet fun environment.
On May 22, Fielding started the day with a birdie, but finished at 10 strokes over par. He said his score could have been better.
“My putting wasn’t that great,” he said. “My last couple holes were pretty bad.”
He found the course at Simoro easier because he knew what to expect this time around after competing last year.
“It was good. The greens were fast,” he said.
The BAGS Junior Golf Tour plays 14-stroke play events at a variety of golf courses across the Georgian Bay region. Players accumulate points for top-three finishes.
After his first tournament, Fielding is in third place with 32 points. He hopes to enter as many of the BAGS events as possible this season, as the top four golfers at the end of the season compete in the Tournament of Champions.
The BAGS Tour will also play host to the 2010 Ontario Junior Tour Team Championship at the Highland course at Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville Aug. 30 to Sept. 1.
Fielding has high hopes for the season.
The young golfer has experience on his side. He’s only in Grade 9, but managed a spot on the Gravenhurst High School senior golf team last fall.
He finished the Muskoka-Parry Sound (MPS) championship in second place with a 77 at Muskoka Highlands. Fielding went on to Georgian Bay Secondary Schools Association (GBSSA) finals at Heritage Hills in Barrie where he shot an 82 to finish in 16th place out of more than 80 golfers.