(UPDATE) Northeast BC golf duo experiences B.C. Junior Golf Championships

Update, 3:59 p.m., Wednesday, July 15: this story has been updated to include comments from Trip Turnbull.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — This month’s B.C. Junior Boys Golf Championship had some northeast B.C. players among its contenders.

Both Dawson Creek’s Tyson Morton and Taylor’s Trip Turnbull made the cut in the championship, which concluded on July 3, at  Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course in Oliver.

Morton and Turnbull also won the 2026 Zone 8 North championship, with the pair netting a combined 36-hole total of four under par, the first time the peace pegion took the championship, prior to the 2026 provincials, in Dawson Creek in June.

Morton, who said he dedicates 50-plus hours per week to the sport of golf, admitted he emulates professional Rory McIlroy, admiring his distance off the tee.

He said winning the zone championship on his home course alongside Turnbull was “a pretty cool experience,” with the pair having played together several times previously.

“It was just the two of us,” said Morton to Energeticcity.ca. “ We did not have a third person to help. Coming from way up north, where we don’t have many resources or coaches, that was pretty cool.”

Turnbull agreed with that statement, saying while there isn’t a huge competitive golf scene in the north: “it’s very cool to it was somebody from the area just to put our name on the map.”

“Where we live is not much of a competitive golf scene,” said Turnbull. “Just to show that we do have some game from up here is is very nice.”

Against the top under-19 players across the province, both Turnbull and Morton had their moments.

Turnbull birdied the opening hole on his last two rounds and had three birdies in the final round on Friday, July 3.

However, struggles on the back nine – including three double bogeys in the final round – meant Turnbull finished 44th overall.

While he had a goal of a top 10 finish, Turnbull said iron play on the fairways cost him.

“I had some issues with my irons, which cost me quite a few shots,” said Turnbull. “But [I] had a lot of positive takeaways.”

Meanwhile, Morton – buoyed by a four-under and one-under scores in the second and third rounds – was in second place overall heading into the final round.

“The golf that I was playing and the state of my mental game at the time, I thought that if I played my game the best I could, I had a shot at winning,” said Morton.

However, three bogeys on the back nine meant Morton dropped to fourth place, with a score of even par.

But the placing landed him a spot in the Canadian Junior Boys Championship, which will take place at Wascana Golf Club in Regina, Saskatchewan, in August.

“I’ve never really placed well in one of these tournaments, so to come this year and get top four in the province is a pretty good feeling,” said Morton.

Turnbull said he would like to thank sponsors, coaches and Zone 8 executives for helping him land golfing opportunities.

Both Morton and Turnbull said they see themselves competing in collegiate golf in the future.

The B.C. Junior Boys Golf Championship took place from Monday, June 29, to Friday, July 3.