Aricin Franklin, a decorated junior golfer from Saskatoon, now can count Lloydminster among the sites of his greatest golfing achievements.
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Franklin, 16, was crowned Saskatchewan junior men’s champion July 10 at Lloydminster’s city course, emerging from a tight U19 race with his buddies Ethan Hunter and Ryan Mosher, the 2024 winner.
Withstanding a late push from his contemporaries, and a heavy downpour that doused the final two groups of golfers, Franklin finished one stroke ahead of Hunter and two in front of Mosher.
With an emphatic fist pump after he sank his decisive bogey putt,
Franklin signalled just how much the provincial-championship victory meant to him. He read the daunting Lloydminster course as well as anyone during the three-day tournament. The high school student did his homework and tested the Lloyd layout in advance of the junior provincials and again in the practice round the day before the tournament.
“It’s a great track, one of the best in the province, for sure,” said Franklin, embracing what has been widely described as a challenging course.
“The layout is pretty simple. But what you see is what you get, and they had the rough thick. The greens are small. You had to hit good golf shots. It was a little breezy out here. The scores were not the best, but to be expected.”
Each of the three finalists shot tournament-best rounds of 70 once. Mosher and Hunter did so on opening day, while Franklin matched that top score the next day to gain a two-shot advantage going into the final round.
“It was a long three days,” the champion said. “The course is playing tough. It relieved what happened (with my third-place finish) last year, and I feel like I made up for it this year. Last year, it was emotional. It was tough, but we bounced back this year and got it done.”
Franklin posted a 73-70-76—219 scoreline, three shots over par, to prevail over Hunter (70-76-74—220) and Mosher (70-75-76—221).
From left, Ethan Hunter (silver), Ryan Mosher (bronze) and Aricin Franklin (gold) were the medallists in the
Saskatchewan junior men’s golf championship July 10 at Lloydminster. John MacNeil – Meridian Source
COLLEGE, PRO ASPIRATIONS
Competitors and friends alike, all three of them have bonded through similar golfing circles in Saskatoon. Mosher, 17, has just graduated from high school, while Franklin and Hunter — who doesn’t turn 16 until late July — are going into Grade 11 this September.
With aspirations of college and pro golf down the road, all three
Saskatchewan finalists hope to spend at least parts of next winter in warm
U.S. destinations conducive to golf training.
In the premier junior tournament in their home province, Franklin, Hunter and Mosher each showed skill and resilience at varying points of the
provincials to create the nip-and-tuck finish, punctuated with a six-minute surge of pounding rain late Thursday afternoon.
“We were just on 17 tee and then it just started pouring out of nowhere,” Hunter said. “It was kind of weird, it was raining and then it stopped for a bit.
“I didn’t have an umbrella, but I was lucky enough to have my rain jacket.”
The three front-runners had already covered their legs and arms for the final day of a tournament that saw Lloyd’s mix of sun, wind, slight coolness and
a small amount of rain.
“Yeah, I definitely wanted to wear pants and a little sweater today (because) mosquitoes are really bad out here, so that (extra clothing) helped a lot,” Hunter said.
Overall, the young gun welcomed the opportunity to try to weather the Lloyd track.
“I think a challenging course is a good course,” Hunter said. “It’s always fun to have a challenge. It makes it a little bit more interesting and more fun.
“The rough was pretty thick out here, so it was really crucial to hit fairways. That was a big part of this week, was hitting fairways.
“I was really good on the tee shots. The second day wasn’t as great, but I was able to get it done third and first days.”
In a performance befitting a reigning champion, Mosher was able to regroup after a tough start to the final round.
“Yeah, for sure,” said Mosher, whose sister Arwen competed in the U17 girls’ division. “I was 5-over through nine and I was able to battle back, hit a few greens, make a few putts. About 4-under through the first five holes of the back nine. Just things sort of unravelled from there, but it was fun while it lasted.
“It was a tough week, but I stayed in it throughout the whole thing, and I was battling. So, there’s nothing I can do except go home and practise and get ready for the next one.”
Mosher ran into water and the rough on that critical 17th hole, which he double-bogeyed.
“I had a tough lie in the rough and it just started pouring,” he replayed. “The rough held a lot of water and I wasn’t able to keep my 3-wood through the grass. The grass just kind of took the 3-wood up and I thinned the ball a little bit and hit it in the water. Yeah, it was a tough one.”
The fortuitous Franklin empathized with his buddy.
“It was a dogfight all day,” said the freshly minted champion. “We were all pretty tight going into 17. I hit a pretty good tee ball, a great 3-wood to 40 feet for eagle. It’s unfortunate that Mosher had to go out the way he did, but it worked out for me.”
NATIONAL QUEST
The trio of Franklin, Hunter and Mosher form Team Saskatchewan for the Canadian junior championship, set for Aug. 11-15 at Gowan Brae Golf and Country Club in Bathurst, N.B.
“Going down to nationals, I hope to improve on my finish from last year, hopefully get top 15 instead of top 20 this year,” Franklin said. “Maybe go for the win, we’ll see.”
The trip to New Brunswick is a homecoming of sorts for Mosher, whose father has Fredericton roots.
“We have a great team this year, a lot of good guys,” Mosher said. “I think Saskatchewan can definitely make a run and I’m really excited.”
Hunter is also gung-ho about playing an unfamiliar course in a new environment.
“Oh, that’s going to be a lot of fun, down on the East Coast,” he said. “I’m not sure what the courses are like or anything, but it’ll be fun.”
Although he’s just turning 16, Hunter and his Bridge City golfing friends have big dreams.
“I hope to take it to the college level, and then from there on, maybe try and go to the PGA,” he said. “But I’m just going to take it year by year and keep improving.”
Mosher hopes to improve his game by getting stronger physically in the coming year, a gap year for him before he begins post-secondary studies.
“I’ll definitely be in the gym a lot, get some weight and some power behind the ball, because these young guys are outdriving me by quite a bit,” said Mosher, five-foot-11 and about 145 pounds. “Hopefully, we can get the ball speed up.”
After he turns 18 next January, Mosher plans to spend part of the winter training in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Franklin intends to do some of his high school work online so that he can similarly schedule winter golf trips, which are also on Hunter’s 2026 calendar.
Franklin’s first name, Aricin, is derived from his mother’s Norwegian
heritage.
“It’s an interesting name,” agreed Franklin, whose parents followed his every shot in Lloyd. “A lot of people get it wrong the first time, but they get used to it.
“It’s like Harrison without pronouncing the H.”
Other provincial winners on the boys’ side were Pilot Butte’s Austin Nesbitt in the U15 division and Regina’s Hudson Deibert in the U13 category. The fast-rising Nesbitt fashioned a 71 in Round 3 to post a one-shot victory over Keaton Kreklewich of Melville.
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