The Portage Golf Club has crowned its 2025 champions, with 16-year-old Logan Cairns capturing his first Junior Boys title after a competitive weekend on the course.
Cairns says he went into the event with a solid shot at the win, knowing his main competition would be familiar faces.
The Portage junior field may be small, but it’s tight-knit. Cairns notes that being friends doesn’t dull the competitive edge.
“We’re all friends and there’s only three of us as juniors, so it’s pretty competitive. We all want to be the best junior at Portage, but I’d like to think we’re all around the same.”
While his win came on home turf, Cairns adds that he has tested his skills elsewhere, including the MacGregor Golf Club where he came up one stroke short in their junior open.
Committed to improvement
Balancing practice with fun is part of his approach, but Cairns remarks that the club’s limited practice facilities can make things tricky.
“I’m trying to get more practice time out there. It’s kind of hard because we don’t have a good practice area. We just have a little practice green, so I’m just trying to get out there, putt, chip, and just work on my game.”
That commitment extends to addressing weaknesses quickly.
“After the first day of Club Championship, I wasn’t satisfied with how I putted. So I went out, me and my dad went over and we just putted for a bit. I put some tees up for my putter and just worked on it,” he says.
Cairns golfs four or five times a week at the Portage course, and when it comes to memorable shots, he mentions one stands out.
“Probably a chip in from 80 yards. I’ve done it a couple times and it’s a pretty good feeling.”
Looking ahead to high school season
As a student at Portage Collegiate Institute, Cairns continues to represent his school on the golf team.
He remarks that this year will bring new challenges.
“In my first year playing, we were pretty strong, we were pretty good. Now it’s getting harder because the good players are leaving. I think this year we’ll have a good chance.”
When asked if golf might have a future beyond high school, Cairns says that’s exactly what he hopes.
“I want to do something with golf,” he noted.
2025 club champions crowned
Alongside Cairns’ Junior Boys win, Lindsey Jordan took the Ladies division with a score of 154, while Melanie Dickenson captured the Senior Ladies title with 198. Brooke Henderson claimed the Junior Girls championship at 186.
For Cairns, though, the weekend is one to remember, not for his best-ever score, but for the milestone.
“First time I’ve ever won anything for golf,” he mentions.
- with files by Ryan Simpson
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