Two young Niagara-on-the-Lake golfers turned in strong performances at the Canadian under-15 championships in British Columbia this week.

Kaige Zhu, who’s 12 and turns 13 next week, finished in a tie for fifth place with a 36-hole score of 1-over 145.

And Eli Perng, 13, was just seven shots back at 8-over 152 and tied for 34th in the field of more than 50 golfers from across the country.

Zhu and Perng are classmates at St. Davids Public School, where both are headed into Grade 8 this fall.

The tournament was played Wednesday and Thursday on the 6,300-yard layout at Pitt Meadows Golf Club near Vancouver. Owen Beaulac, 14, from Victoria, won the event with a 5-under 139 total.

On day 1, Zhu played one of his best rounds ever, his mother Jane Zhu told The Lake Report.

Everything seemed to go his way and he fired a 5-under 67, with just one bogey and three birdies. Then, for good measure, he finished with an eagle 3 on the closing hole, a 458-yard par 5.

“It was his best score in his whole golf life so far,” his mother said.

Things were tougher on Thursday and Zhu ran into some trouble in his middle six holes, carding a bogey, a double and a triple to slip out of contention.

Having the lead on such a big stage, he was under some pressure, his mom said, but the day was “a great lesson” and learning experience for him.

Perng was steady and consistent, shooting 77 on Wednesday and closing out the tourney with a 75.

His dad Richard, who caddies for Eli, said his son played well but “not great” during the competition.

“There were probably six loose shots over the two rounds that cost him heavily. His driver and putter were his best weapons during the tournament,” he told The Lake Report.

He didn’t three-putt any greens and missed very few fairways off the tee.

“All in all, it was an excellent experience and he knows that he will have one more chance at this competition next year,” he said.

Both boys, who also play on their school’s golf team, have been competing in youth tournaments in Canada and the United States this summer.

And Perng won the junior club championships at both Eagle Valley Golf Course in Niagara Falls and Cherry Hill in Ridgeway.

Last summer, they both played in the Notah Begay Junior Canadian Golf Championship in Kahnawake, near Montreal, in the age 10-11 division.

They finished first and second that time, with Zhu two shots ahead of Perng.

They’re also multi-sport athletes: Zhu is a talented tennis player and Perng plays hockey at the AA level.

Travis Glass, the head teaching pro at Eagle Valley and coach of the Brock University team, has coached Perng since he was three.

On occasion, he said, he’s also advised Zhu, who plays out of Royal Niagara Golf Club in NOTL and is coached by his dad Mike, who also handles caddy duties.

Glass, who grew up in St. Davids, is proud of both boys and the success they’ve had at such an elite level.

Glass is director of the U.S. Kids Niagara golf tour and he noted Zhu and Perng were among about a dozen young boys and girls from the tour who qualified for the Canadian championships.

Richard Perng said his son and Glass “plan to work hard over the winter, focusing on consistency and distance.”

And while Zhu focuses a bit more on tennis this fall, Perng will soon be trading the links for the rink and playing right defence for the Niagara Falls Canucks U14 AA team.