North York's Eric Zhao is the 2025 Ontario Men's Amateur champion after beating Toronto's Dawson Lew in a playoff Saturday at Deerhurst Highlands in Huntsville.
Zhao was the only golfer across the 156-player field that shot under par in all four rounds of the tournament, which is even more impressive considering the tough conditions and weather delays that delayed the weekend.
It's the second win of the season for the 17-year-old playing out of Bayview Golf and Country Club, and first outside of junior competition. He won the NextGen Ontario Championship earlier this year.
SCORECARD
| Position | To Par | Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-7 | -2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 35 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 35 | 70 |
| 3 | -3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 37 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 34 | 71 |
| 2 | -5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 34 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 70 |
| 1 | -7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 37 | 70 |
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
Lew led heading into the final round by two strokes after a seven-under 65 Friday. His third round performance was the best in the tournament by three strokes.
However, Zhao took a three-stroke lead at nine-under after going four-under through seven holes Saturday.
With Lew finishing even for the day, Zhao who was just one-under after a bogey on 16 needed a birdie on the par-five eighteenth to force a playoff.
Zhao took advantage of the par-five, birdied, and eventually won the playoff which might've been the most pressure he's faced so far in his young career.
"Definitely super nervous," he said in an post-round interview with Golf Ontario. "I just tried to take in the whole experience and accept whatever happens."
For Lew, this is the fifth time this season he's finished atop the field in a tournament start, having come into this week with four wins already this season.
Both were among just 10 players that didn't double bogey during the competition. Just five golfers finished under par for the tournament including NHL referee and former champion Garrett Rank who finished third at three-under.
Zhao and Lew were among a selection of players that qualified for the Canadian Men's Amateur Championship with their performance in the provincial championship.
LOCAL PLAYERS
Of the five others from Barrie and across Simcoe County competing for the province's amateur golfing crown, three played the weekend.
- Andrew Gwilliams: Bradford
- Exemption: top 8 at May 28 qualifier at Redcrest (low score of 70)
- Finish: T-21st (+10)
- Andrew Nagel, Elmvale
- Exemption: top 10 finish at May 29 qualifier at Wildfire
- Finish: T-52nd (+19)
- Spencer Shropshire, Ramara
- Exemption: top 10 from 2024 U19 Ontario boys’ junior golf pathway rankings
- Finish: 14th (+6)
A top-50 finish earns a spot in next year's edition of the tournament.
