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Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA Professionals

Press Release

April 5-6, 2003
Meadow Gardens G&CC, Pitt Meadows, BC

For Immediate Release

April 7, 2003

YOUNG GOLFERS SHINE AT ALCAN JUNIOR EVENT AT MEADOW GARDENS

PITT MEADOWS, B.C. - Some of the brightest stars in junior golf were on hand to showcase their talents this past weekend at the Western Canada Junior Golf Tour?s Alcan Junior at Meadow Gardens Golf Course.

Top finishers at the two-day event, a qualifier for the CPGA-Saskatchewan Junior Championship presented by Mazda, included Jonnie Motomochi, Eom Ji Park, Jordan Mason and Brook Scott.

?This one had a really strong field,? said Motomochi, who recorded his second win in as many starts on the Boston Pizza-sponsored Tour this season.

Joining Motomochi in the Boys 13-and-Under division at Meadow Gardens were Richard Lee of Vancouver and Andrew Yun of Seattle, who finished first, second and third respectively among 11-year-old boys at last year?s U.S. Kids Golf World Championships in Virginia.

Motomochi, who lives in White Rock, shot 74-70 for a 144-first place finish at Meadow Gardens, followed by Vancouver?s Lee, who finished at 150 with rounds of 76-74. In third spot was North Vancouver?s Nick McKnight, who shot 78-74 for a 152 tally.

Motomochi said his solid driving was the key to his victory.

?My drive was great,? he said. ?I was 23 for 28 in fairways. My putting was really good too.?

Vancouver?s Park, who was crowned Canadian Junior Girls Champion last year, said her driver also helped her capture the Girls rain-shortened 27-hole event with scores of 37-68 and a 105 total. ?My irons were good and my driver was also good. I don?t think I missed any fairways today.?

West Vancouver?s Alison Kirk-Owen finished second among the girls with scores of 37-77 for a 114 two-day finish. In third spot was Tiarra Honce of Kelowna, who shot 41-80 for a 121 final.

Like all the competitors, Park found that the rain and biting cold made for a challenging tournament, especially on the first day.

?It wasn?t easy,? she said. ?The yardage was really hard because it was so wet.?

Mason, who hails from Delta, agreed with Park that the conditions were among the most difficult he?d ever experienced in a golf tournament. He shot 76-70 to capture the Boys 14-16 division with a 146 finish.

?On the first day, the elements threw everything at us,? he said. ?That 76 means a lot more when I?m playing in conditions like that.?

Finishing a stroke behind Mason was Langley?s Greg Pool, who had rounds of 73-74 for a 147 final. In third spot was Richmond?s Richard Conlin, who posted scores of 78-72 to finish at 150.

Mason, who said solid putting was the key to his success at the tournament, also noted the strength of the field. ?There were a lot of good players,? he said. ?There were a lot of good scores, so I take a lot of pride in this victory.?

Port Coquitlam?s Brook Scott, who posted scores of 72-74 for a 146 first-place finish among Boys 17-and-Up, said strong putting also played a big role in his victory.

?I found that I struck the ball very well and made key putts when I had to,? he said. ?It feels great to win at a course that I?ve played a lot and especially against great competition.?

The runner-up in that age bracket was Mission?s Jacob Hunt, who had rounds of 74-73 for a 147 finish. Abbotsford?s Josh Taylor finished third with scores of 76-72 and a 148 final.

Winners of the Sundog Closest-to-the-Pin competition included Park in the Girls division; Surrey?s Adam Svensson in the Boys 13-and?Under Division, Greg Pool in the Boys 14-16 Division; and Coquitlam?s Nick Saechiu in the Boys 17-and-Up Division.

The next WCJGT event, a qualifier for the Callaway Junior Golf Championships in San Diego, CA, is the Alcan Junior at Swan-e-set Bay Resort in Pitt Meadows, April 26-27.

The WCJGT, which hosts tournaments for boys and girls aged 10 to 23 in four age divisions, will be building on its success in the Western provinces by expanding into Ontario this summer, and into Quebec and the Maritimes in the coming years. The soon-to-be renamed Nationwide Junior Golf Tour is run by members of the Canadian PGA.

For more information, please call 1-877-859-GOLF.