VICTORIA – Third year University of Victoria Vikes men’s golfer Josh Millerwas announced as the 2019 Thrifty Foods Golf Award winner. The annual award comes with a $2,500 cheque thanks to the funds raised from the annual Thrifty Foods Youth Golf Clinic, hosted this year on May 26.
Thrifty Foods has been a major contributor to the University of Victoria on many unique initiatives including the Vikes Golf program through the Thrifty Foods youth Golf Clinics as part of the PGA tour, and supporting the Vikes varsity golf team with their annual athletic award. These clinics give kids the opportunity to work with the Vikes to develop their skills and help inspire them to see the future possibilities that there are with continuing in sport.
“To date the Thrifty Foods Youth Golf clinics have raised just over $32,000 towards the Thrifty Foods Athletic award which is now an endowed award.” said Ralf Mundel, VP Operations at Thrifty Foods. “This will provide financial support in perpetuity to assist developing athletes. We are so pleased to be able to support Vikes golfers and see the positive community engagement through the youth golf clinics.”
Similar to many past Vikes recipients, Miller is local to Victoria growing up playing at the Royal Colwood Golf Course on Vancouver Island.
“Josh has established himself as one of our Top 2 players for the past two seasons as a Vike,” said Vikes head coach Justin Clews. “He continually works on his game and has very strong practice and work ethic to prepare for tournaments. He represents Victoria as a strong amateur golfer in various competitions during the school off-season as well playing in various provincial and national events.”
For this season alone Miller has been in the Top 20 in eight of nine starts this season, the Top 15 in seven of nine starts, and he has finished the Top 10 in five of nine starts this season including a first place in the 2018 Vikes Shootout event at Cordova Bay Golf Course with scores of 69 and 67.
Miller was second out of a field of 66 at the 2018 NCU Fall Invitational in Oregon with three-round scores of 74, 74 and 70, while at the 2018 Desert Showdown in Arizona he shot a 71 to finished third out of 26 competitors. Miller also had an eighth-place finish at the 2019 AII/RRAC Conference Championship in Texas with scores of 76, 71 and 73.
Miller, who was away in Ontario competing at the Canadian University/College National Championships had his award accepted on Sunday by last year’s recipient and former team mate Mike Griffin.
Future Vikes aspiring to follow in Miller’s footsteps had the chance to learn from the Vikes themselves at the Thrifty Foods Youth Golf Clinic on May 26. The Sunday clinic held at Uplands Golf Clinic and had three clinic times each of 1.5 hours of instruction from current and former Vikes as well as PGA tour golfers. Registration included two, week-long passes to the Bayview Place CardTronics Open, as well as a clinic t-shirt and hat and two Vikes golf balls and proceeds went to support the Thrifty Foods Golf Award.
For more information about this year’s Thrifty Foods Youth Golf Clinic visit govikesgo.com/TFYouthGolf
Previous Recipients:
2018-19: Josh Miller
2017-18: Mike Griffin
2016-17: Lawren Rowe
2015-16: Lawren Rowe
2014-15: Alex Cartwright
2013-14: Alex Cartwright
2012-13: Megan Woodland
2011-12: Alyssa Herkel
2010-11: Megan Woodland
