Listowel, ON –The Investors Group Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship came to a close on Friday with Fort Erie resident Jack Gibson hoisting the Lady Eaton trophy to earn his first provincial title. The tournament, which featured an initial field of 156 of Ontario’s best junior golfers, was cut short to 54 holes after torrential rains on Thursday night flooded the course and made most holes unplayable at Listowel Golf Club. When it became clear that players would not be able to complete the final day of competition, third round results became final and Gibson emerged as the 2010 champion. Gibson took sole possession of the lead during Wednesday’s second round, where blustery conditions on the course did not invite many low scores into the clubhouse. The Bridgewater Country Club member managed to post a five-under 67, tying the course record set on Tuesday by Listowel resident and first round leader Corey Conners. Gibson’s solid 68 on the first day coupled with his second round performance gave him a three stroke advantage over the field heading into what would become the final round of the tournament. Conners, the recently crowned Ontario Amateur champion, was the heavy favourite on his home course this week. A disappointing 75 in the second round pushed him into sixth place, setting the stage for Gibson to make a charge for the title. Third round action developed into a two-man battle between Gibson and defending champion Albin Choi of Toronto, who started the day in second place. Choi, a member of Team Canada’s development squad, put up a strong fight but was unable to make the birdies needed to wrestle the lead away from Gibson. After Gibson dropped a tidy birdie putt on 18 to close out the third day, his overall score of -10 (68-67-71-206) would become the lowest of the tournament. “I knew I could come out here and compete with the guys in this event,” said Gibson, a member of the University of Waterloo’s golf team. “Corey (Conners) was clearly the favourite and Albin (Choi) is one of the best players in Canada, and I was able to card the same score as both of them (71) in the final round.” Gibson demonstrated his ability to generate serious distance off the tee, playing the par 5 holes at -12 for the tournament, and took control of the challenging deep rough that Listowel presented to the players. Although he failed to make the cut at the recent Ontario Amateur, the 18 year old had a game plan for the tournament this week that paid off. “I’ve worked pretty heavily with my coaches in the past week, made a few tweaks to my swing and actually started using a brand new putter during the first round on Tuesday,” explained Gibson. “I guess it all just clicked.” Gibson will now work to further sharpen his game for the upcoming Canadian Junior Boys Championship, set to be held August 3-6 at Richmond Country Club in Richmond, BC. Runner-up honours went to Choi, who finished three strokes behind Gibson with a final score of -7 (69-69-71-209). The Caledon Woods Golf Club member, who consistently delivers strong finishes in both provincial and national events, will head to the University of North Carolina this fall on a golf scholarship. Conners finished the tournament in sixth place at -3 with a total score of 213 (67-75-71), while two-time defending Canadian Junior Boys’ Champion Mitch Sutton of London closed out the event tied for eighth. Also contested in the tournament is the Ontario Juvenile (age 16 and under) Boys’ Championship. Hamilton’s Sean Carlino made a third round charge up the leaderboard to earn both the overall bronze medal and the Nick Weslock Juvenile Boys’ trophy with a final score of -5 (69-74-68-211). Blair Hamilton of Burlington picked up the silver medal in the Juvenile division while Paul Doig of Seaforth and Daniel Wilson of Stratford shared third place. The Investors Group Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship also determines the inter-provincial team that will represent Ontario at the Canadian Junior Boys’ Championship. Team Ontario will consist of Gibson, Choi, Carlino, and Chris Emmerich of Kitchener, who earned his spot on the team following a playoff victory over Thunder Bay’s Evan Littlefield. First contested in 1923, the Investors Group Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship was played for the 88th time this summer. Past winners include 2003 Masters Champion Mike Weir (1988) and his longtime caddy Brennan Little (1987), Ontario amateur golf legend Gary Cowan (1956), Nationwide and PGA Tour member Jon Mills (1996) and recently turned professional 2009 NCAA Champion Matt Hill (2007). The Golf Association of Ontario would like to thank the staff, members, and volunteers from Listowel Golf Club for their hospitality and use of their course throughout the week, and Investors Group for their support of amateur golf in Ontario.