Eric Prokopowich opened up the 99th Manitoba junior men's golf championship by shooting a 78. The Dauphin golfer improved with a 76 on day two which he then followed up with his best round of the tournament.
Four birdies pushed Prokopowich to his 74 in the third round, which was one of the lowest rounds of the day. The solid finish saw Eric finish in solo seventh place, one stroke ahead of Feanor Valaquenta who shot a 73.
Eric admits he was struggling with his game early in the season, but he found something at the Shilo Country Club.
"I started hitting the ball a lot better than I was heading in," said Prokopowich. "I wasn't making many putts at the start but they started falling, especially in that final round so I was happy with how things ended."
The nationals were cancelled last year because of the pandemic, but they're back on the schedule this year and that's great news for Eric. Thanks to his seventh-place finish, he's earned one of Manitoba's spots at the event. It will be played August 9-12 at Vallée du Richelieu (Club de golf) in Sainte-Julie, Quebec.
"I am so extremely excited about this opportunity," offered Prokopowich. "As a golfer, you always want to advance and compete in big events, so I'm honoured that I get this chance."
Eric will join Jose Mekish-Lacquette at the event next week. Elsewhere on the golf course, Prokopowich played with Jackson Delaurier, Boston Karlson, and Mitchell Rauliuk late last week in the Canadian Friends of Hockey in Ukraine. They played with Jayce Hawryluk and finished second by shooting a 14-under, 57.
"That was a lot of fun, we had a great day," ended Prokopowich. "I always enjoy playing with my friends and it was a neat experience playing with Jayce as well."
