Vernon golfer at top of leaderboard halfway through B.C. Men’s Amateur

Ryan Vest was tied with golfer from Richmond for 36-hole lead but with some golfers still on course Tuesday

Vernon golfer at top of leaderboard halfway through B.C. Men’s Amateur Published 7:00 pm Tuesday, July 14, 2026 A Vernon golfer was hoping to at least have a share of the lead at the halfway mark of the 124th B.C. Men’s Amateur Championship. As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, Ryan Vest of the Vernon Golf and Country Club was tied for first with Alex Zhang of Richmond, who plays out of the Marine Drive Golf Club.

Both golfers were at 6-under-par 136 at the midway point of the tournament, being played at the Riverway Golf Club in Burnaby. A handful of golfers who were three shots back of the leaders were still out on the course at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Vest – who placed fifth at last year’s B.C. Amateur in Kimberley – opened the 2026 event Monday by carding a two-under 69, and improved his spot on the leaderboard Tuesday with a four-under 67.

Zhang had rounds of 71 and 65. Kelowna’s Finley Dober – the recently minted B.C. Junior Men’s champ – was third at 5 p.m. Tuesday, one back of Vest and Zhang, after rounds of 71-66. Oakley Mayner of Kelowna, who was tied for second heading into play Tuesday, one shot out of first place, fired a one-over 72 and is at one-under-par after 36 holes.

Mayner and Vest are teammates on the UBC Okanagan Heat men’s golf team, which recently won the 2026 Canadian Colleges Golf Championship. The projected cut mark late Tuesday afternoon was six-over-par. Landen Harison of Vernon and Braxton McDonald of Coldstream were inside the number and are likely to play the final 36 holes Wednesday and Thursday.

McDonald and Harison were tied for 43rd spot Tuesday afternoon at four-over. Vernon golfers Kobe Menzies, Austin Armanini, and Tyson Wicklund, along with Spallumcheen’s Richard Burden, finished below the projected cut number. Menzies was the closest to the cut line, finishing at +9.