Hachey’s playoff birdie leads to victory on the MJT Mini Tour at Musqueam
Vancouver, BC – (July 7, 2020) – Playing out in beautiful sunshine and mild temperatures, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s MJT Mini Tour at Musqueam Golf Course ran on July 6 in Vancouver, BC, where a wait-listed field of 12U players competed in five divisions on Canada’s number-one played junior golf tour under strict new protocols.
The spotlight shone on the MJT Boys 11-12 Division which required extra holes to determine a winner. After 18 holes of play, sitting tied for first place with a score of 62 on the par-60 golf course were 12-year old Tim Hachey, of Osoyoos, BC, and 11-year old Alex Zhang, of Richmond, BC. Making birdie on the first playoff hole to win his first career MJT Mini Tour event was Hachey. “It was my first playoff experience,” he commented. “It meant a lot to me to see the ball go into the hole [in the playoff].” Zhang took home his second consecutive runner-up finish in 2020.
Pulling away in the MJT Boys 9-10 Division was Surrey-resident Jonathon Xia. The 10-year old 2019 MJT Mini Tour National Champion fired a 62 to tie the Low Overall Boys score of the event and win his division by eight shots. With only a one-shot lead through nine holes, Xia managed to record one birdie for an impressive even-par back nine and separate from the field.
Inching to victory in the MJT Boys U8 Division was eight-year old Ben McDougall, of New Westminster, BC. McDougall managed to make a great par save on his final hole of the day to shoot 78 and hold on to a one-shot lead. When asked if he was thinking about any of the other players in contention, McDougall replied, “No, we just had lots of fun.” Finishing tied for second place were eight-year olds Daniel Lam (79), of Maple Ridge, BC, and Jason Zhang (79), of Richmond.
Winning the MJT Girls 11-12 title with a score of 70 was 12-year old Grace Aoting Yao of West Vancouver. “I wanted to score my best,” remarked Yao. “I only thought about the hole I was on and not the future.”
Nine-year old Kathleen Dunn, of Surrey, continued her reign of dominance since debuting on the MJT Mini Tour in 2018. Dunn carded a 75 to win her second consecutive title in the MJT Girls 9-10 Division, her seventh first-place finish in 13 career starts. “I was really excited to win today,” commented Dunn. “I cleared my mind and focused on finishing [strong].”
Full results of the event can be viewed here. The next 12U stop in BC will be held in Cultus Lake on Sunday, July 12, for the MJT Mini Tour at Cultus Lake Golf Club. More details on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour can be found online at www.maplejt.com.
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.