Bjornson’s 64 and Humphrey’s 67 catapult them to victory on MJT at Ledgeview
Abbotsford, BC – (June 22, 2020) - After ceasing competition for three months, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour restarted its season over the June 20 and 21 weekend in Abbotsford, BC. With new, revised procedures in place to maintain player health and safety, elite junior golfers competed in the MJT BC Series at Ledgeview Golf and Country Club. The two-day event heralded a new look for Canada’s number-one played junior golf tour, which had players following strict health and safety protocols, with no gatherings.
A brilliant final round of 64 made the spotlight fall on MJT veteran-player, Bailey Bjornson (16), of Surrey, BC, who carded scores of 72 and 64 (136, - 4) to win the MJT Junior Boys Division title, making eight birdies in the span of 11 holes mid-way through his second round. “I drove the ball really well today,” remarked Bjornson coming off a six-under par second round. “That put me into the zone to win the title.”
The MJT Juvenile Boys Division saw outstanding rounds of 68 (-2) from both Kelowna, BC-player, Cooper Humphreys (15) and Whistler, BC-golfer, Stewart Walker (15). After making three birdies in his first six holes to start his Sunday, Humphreys emerged victorious as division winner and Low Overall champion after firing an excellent second round of 67 for a total score of 135 (-5). “I wanted to play smart golf,” said Humphreys. “I didn’t force anything and just let things happen.”
Coming from a three-shot deficit after the first round to win the MJT Bantam Boys title was Charlie Derrheim, 14, of Delta, BC. Derrheim shot 74 and 72 (146) to edge a one-shot victory over Jay Xu, 13, of Coquitlam, BC. Derrheim opened his second round with a bogey-free one-under par nine holes and was able to hold it together to close out the competition.
A jam-packed leaderboard in the MJT Peewee Boys Division saw eight players sitting within three shots of each other after the first round of the event. Emerging as the winner with a two-shot lead was 12-year old Soohan Park, of Langley, BC, who fired scores of 76 and 73 (148). Park, after losing in a nine-hole playoff at the last MJT event three months ago, entered into the winner’s circle with his performance at Ledgeview.
The MJT Girls 15-19 Division witnessed incredibly good scoring from 13-year old Michelle Liu, of Vancouver, BC, who cleaned up after firing a pair of 71s (142) to win her division title by a convincing nine strokes. After finishing runner-up three months ago at the MJT Humber College PGM Classic presented by TaylorMade, Liu carded six birdies to close out her first win of the 2020 condensed season at Ledgeview.
Yeji Kwon, 14, of Port Coquitlam, BC, captured her second consecutive MJT title this season after shooting 72 and 74 (146) for a two-shot victory in the MJT Girls U15 division. “Before the [event], I spent a lot of time working on my putting,” commented Kwon, when asked about her game plan coming into the event. “During the rounds, I tried to stay calm and accept each shot that I hit.”
Full results of the competition can be viewed on the MJT website here. The next event in BC, the MJT Ford Series at Predator Ridge Resort, will take place in Vernon on July 20 and 21.
About the MJT: The non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour 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 supported by valued Premier, Tournament and Product Partners. The MJT hosts close to 90 events across Canada, including free Ford Go Golf Junior Clinics, the MJT Mini Tour for 12U and multi-day events for competitive players aged 11-19. The program has annual awards, scholarships and incentives to help reward 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 the provincial, national, university and professional levels.