St. Albert's Ethan Wilson will be heading to Japan in June for the 2022 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup after Team Canada secured a spot last week.
“This event in Japan will be my biggest and it'll be pretty exciting,” said Wilson.
Team Canada’s National Junior Squad boys' team scored the top spot at a qualifying tournament hosted by the Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria, B.C., from April 11 to 14.
In the junior boys' division, Team Canada placed first, Mexico came in second place, Puerto Rico came in third, and Guatemala finished fourth.
Only the top two teams qualified for the Junior Golf World Cup.
Wilson said the team didn’t play their best, but they were fortunate enough to qualify.
“Now we're going to Japan in June and we're really excited,” he said.
Both of Canada’s boys' and girls' National Junior Squad teams will be headed to Hakusan Village Golf Club in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture Japan, from June 21 to 24, for the World Cup.
Canada’s girls' team placed first overall as well, ahead of Mexico. Only the top team qualified for the World Cup in Japan in the girls' division.
“It's going to be all the best players pretty much across the world. So, we're looking forward to playing against the best and seeing where we stand and hopefully being just as good or better,” said Wilson.
Wilson said the qualifying event in Victoria was exciting as they as Team Canada played against people from all over the world.
However, the best moments from the qualifying tournament were the moments he spent with his team.
“Just all the team bonding moments are obviously the best — hanging out after the rounds and whatnot,” he said.
Wilson individually placed ninth overall.
“I played OK myself, but nothing too exciting. It was just enough to get to do my job for the team. And luckily, we won,” he said.
This is Wilson’s first year on Team Canada and although he has played competitive events in the past, the World Cup in Japan will be his biggest.
Wilson started playing competitively about five years ago, “then kind of each year [I] played more and more and just improved more each year and then kind of qualified for bigger tournaments each year and then fortunately, this year [I] made Team Canada, which is kind of bringing me to that next level,” he said.
Wilson said he has developed by playing the sport and he plays with his family at the Glendale Golf and Country Club.
“I've developed each year starting by just going to the driving range once a week and then play and then tournaments and then big tournaments,” he said.
Wilson is in his last year of high school at École Secondaire St. Albert Catholic High School, and he hopes to continue golfing at a professional level.
“Hopefully, I can go somewhere on a golf scholarship after high school and then see where that takes me, maybe turn professional,” he said.
Wilson said he plans to take a year off after high school to play golf.
As for the World Cup in Japan, the event takes place from June 21 to 24, and Wilson does have concerns the tournament will interfere with some of his diploma exams.
“My mom's going to see about maybe getting an exemption. She read something about exemptions [for] some kids who have really cool experiences ... So, we don't know yet. But we're hoping I can figure it out or write them at a different time,” he said.
