Halfmoon Bay's Blake Mithrush qualified for the national amateur championships after an 18th place finish last week in Victoria.
Mithrush fired a four-round total of 295, finishing in a tie for 18th place. The top 23 finishers from the B.C. Amateur, held July 12 to 15 at the Gorge Vale Golf Club in Victoria, claimed invites to the nationals.
The nationals will be held Aug. 13 to 15 at the Bell Bay Golf Club in Baddeck, N.S.
This is the second straight year Mithrush has qualified for the nationals.
"After winning the zones, I felt pretty good and thought I'd finish higher in Victoria," Mithrush said. "I had a few problems with my swing. After the first couple of rounds it was a real grind. My goal was then just to finish strong and qualify for the Canadians."
Abbotsford's James Lepp finished with a final round 70 to win by four shots and win his fourth straight B.C. Amateur title.Lepp, along with James Allenby of Langley, Kent Eger of Invermere and Stephen Thomas of Vancouver, will represent B.C. in the prestigious Willingdon Cup team matches, as part of the Canadian Amateur Championship.
"It would have been great to finish in the top four and make the cup team, but it just wasn't meant to be," Mithrush said. "I'm excited about going back to the nationals. I'm more prepared this year. Everything isn't new. I'm more comfortable with the atmosphere and I know what to expect. I feel I'm capable of doing well, but when it comes to match play, anything can happen."
In other golf news, Gibsons Mike Mannion, who plays out of the Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club, has qualified for the Canadian Mid Amateur Championships.
Mannion fired a 218 total, finishing five shots back of Victoria's Bryan Toth at the B.C. Mid Amateur Championships, held June 9 in Chilliwack.
Mannion, who finished in the top four in the master 40 division, will represent B.C. at the Canadians Aug. 23 to 25 at the Belvedere Golf Club in Charlottetown, PEI.
