Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

June 15-16, 2013
Moose Jaw, SK

Bearchell best at MJT’s Team Canada Qualifier in Moose Jaw - Two shortlisted for SRIXON International Junior Classic in Australia

Moose Jaw, SK – (June 17, 2013) – Leighton Bearchell, 18, of Moose Jaw, SK, fired excellent scores of 72-68 (140) to win Low Overall and the MJT Junior Boys 17-19 title at the Boston Pizza-presented Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) tournament in Moose Jaw, SK, this past weekend. The two-day event played out in windy conditions on Hillcrest Golf Club, as a precursor to the Golf Saskatchewan Provincial Junior Championships next month, and featured a qualifier for age-specific shortlisted positions on MJT Team Canada to the SRIXON International Junior Classic in New South Wales, Australia, in October. Final winners will be announced once all MJT qualifiers across the country have completed.

“Day one got off to a late start and the players endured strong, steady winds of over 50km per hour,” said MJT Tournament Director Jeff Chambers, PGA Professional. “Scoring was extremely tough and reflected in the higher than average scores.  Day two was much nicer although still quite windy.  Local favourite, Leighton Bearchell, was all smiles coming down 18 and then left his last putt leaning on the edge, so close to shooting 67. There were some big comeback scores after some next-to-impossible shots in extremely windy conditions on day one.”

Bearchell, who attributed his win to his short game, commented, “The course was good, the conditions not great. It feels good to win, I had a great time.”  Second place in Boys 17-19 went to Justin Wood, 18, of Unity, SK (77, 70=147) with three players finishing in a tie for third at 152 total score: Garrett Blair, 18, of Lanigan, SK (78, 74), Mike Flegel, 18, of Moose Jaw (77, 75) and Daegan Wall, 18, of Regina, SK (75, 77).

MJT Juvenile Boys 15-16 champion was Cory Selander, 16, of Prince Albert, SK, who carded 75, 76=151 to beat runner-up Zach Hurd, 16, also of Prince Albert, by two strokes (75, 78=153).  Selander, who is the age-eligible qualifier for a shortlisted spot on MJT Team Canada to Australia as the maximum age for entry into the SRIXON International Junior Classic is 17, said, “I grinded it out well after a few rough starts and was able to scramble back. Zach Hurd was playing well down the stretch and we were neck-and-neck for most of the day. I’ve been playing well all year but haven’t been getting any results so it feels good to get my first win, especially in difficult conditions.” Regina’s Noah Kozack, 13, who plays up a division, tied with Prince Albert’s Cory Sawchuk, 15, for third place in the Juvenile Boys division after both shot identical scores of 79, 77=156.

Roman Timmerman, 14, of Saskatoon, SK, ran away with the MJT Bantam Boys 14 and under title with a 27-hole total of 75-38 (113), crediting his ‘good drives and putting.’ Second and third place in the division went to Kristian Houk, 13, of North Battleford, SK (78, 44=122) and Kade Johnson, 14, of Yorkton, SK (85, 39=124).

The Girls division also competed over 27 holes where Lisa Reid, 18, of Regina, won the title with her scores of 42, 82=124. “I attribute my win to hard practice, lots of golfing, but most importantly, staying positive!” she summed up. “It feels very good to win my division. I just stayed positive and had fun. It's also a great feeling when practice pays off.  All in all, a great tournament!” Second and third place went to two 14 year old girls from Prince Albert, with Kayla Sawchuk carding 45, 84=129, and Brooke Hobson, 48, 83=131. Sawchuk secured an age-specific shortlisted spot to Australia for the Girls division.

Other prizes were awarded in the Mr. Lube Long Drive Competition, where divisional winners were Emily Bugera of Swift Current, SK, Keighton McNab of Saskatoon, Alex Hartman of Fort St. John, BC, and Ben Leier of Saskatoon, and in the Sundog Eyewear Closest-to-the-Pin Competition, where the winners were Chloe Sies of Melville, SK, Keighton McNab, Cole Zawislak of Regina, and Blake Morrow of Swift Current. Golf Town Comeback Awards went to Amanda Gonsch of Silton, SK, Kristian Houk, Josh Marcia of Regina, and Justin Simpson of Saskatoon.

Detailed highlights of the MJT Team Canada Qualifier/Golf Saskatchewan Order of Merit Series at Hillcrest Golf Club can be seen here.  The next Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour stop in the province is the MJT Nationwide/Golf Saskatchewan Order of Merit Series at Cooke Municipal Golf Club in Prince Albert on June 29th and 30th, a qualifying event for the Future Collegiate World Tour’s PGA West event this December. For more information please visit www.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-4653.

About the MJT: The non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour presented by Boston Pizza is Canada’s number-one played Junior Golf Tour as well as the only national junior tour run exclusively by PGA of Canada Professionals and the ‘Road to College Golf’ in Canada. The organization is generously supported by Boston Pizza and Premier Partners Cleveland Golf, Srixon, Ford, Mr. Lube, Golf Town and Travel Underwriters, in addition to valued Tournament and Product Partners. The MJT hosts more than 60 events across Canada, including free Ford Go Golf Junior Clinics, the MJT Mini Tour for 7-12 year olds, and multi-day events for competitive players which also qualify juniors for international competitions. The program offers annual awards, scholarships, and frequent player incentives to help reward player's performance and participation throughout each season. MJT alumni include many Professional Tour players and PGA of Canada Professionals, as well as Canadian Amateur, National and Provincial Junior Champions. The MJT aims to develop champions, in golf and in life, promoting the game from grassroots through to provincial, national, university and professional level.
MEDIA CONTACT: Elaine Denton, MJT edenton@maplejt.com 1-877-859-GOLF  www.maplejt.com.