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Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour
The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA ProfessionalsPress Release
March 25-26, 2006
Morgan Creek GC • S. Surrey, BC
Wallace Qualifies for International Junior Masters on MJT
SURREY, B.C. – The second event of the year for the Boston Pizza-presented Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) teed off at Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey, this past weekend. With the weather being sunny on Saturday, many players had great opening rounds. Eight players shot under par, out of the field of players from Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia and Yellowknife. The weather turned for the worse on Sunday with colder temperatures, higher winds and rain was falling on and off throughout the day.
MJT veteran and Langley resident, Darren Wallace, 17, from The Redwoods Golf Course, shot an opening round of 69 to trail Abbotsford’s Josh Taylor after his great round of 68. Wallace made a long birdie putt on the 36th and final hole to win the Boys 17 and up division title with scores of 69-73, his second victory in as many starts on the MJT this season. Wallace, who qualified for an exemption into the 54th East Aurora International Junior Masters in New York State this June, struggled early in the second round with his putter. “Down the last few holes I started to make very key putts to pull out the victory,” he said, “It means a lot to know that so early in the year my game is in tournament form and to be able to win against this solid field builds my confidence.”
Taylor, and Brett Webster, 17, both from Ledgeview Golf Course in Abbotsford, finished one shot back to tie for second place in the division with rounds of 68-75 and 70-73 respectively.
North Vancouver’s Nick McKnight, 16, of Vancouver Golf Club, won the Boys 14-16 division with solid play on both days. After a great opening round of 71, McKnight led his age group by 4 shots. He fired 73 on Sunday, one of the lowest rounds on a difficult afternoon, to extend his margin of victory to 7 shots over second place finishers Sean Craigon, 16, of Swan-e-set Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, and Bryan Lichimo, 14, of Seymour Creek Golf Club in North Vancouver. Craigon shot 78-73 and Lichimo was 77-74, tied for a total score of 151. McKnight, who cited his putting as the difference between winning and not winning on the weekend, said “I feel very privileged to have won.”
In the Boys 13 & under division, Surrey’s 12-year-old Adam Svensson of Marine Drive Golf Club was dominating in his first MJT win of the season. Shooting scores of 70-75, Svensson won by a margin of 6 shots over Coquitlam’s 13-year-old Chris Lee, who plays out of Westwood Plateau Golf Club. Lee shot 75-76. In Svensson’s words, “All my hard work paid off.” New MJT player, Nicholas Russell, 13, from Vancouver, finished third in the division with a two day total of 155.
Like her older brother Darren, Jessica Wallace, 15, of The Redwoods Golf Course, won the Girls division with impressive scores of 72-74. Jessica, who beat runner-up Sue Kim, 15, also of The Redwoods Golf Course, by six strokes, attributed her solid ball striking as the major component to her victory this week. Third place was claimed by Port Moody’s Kristina Gargaro, 16, of Meadow Gardens Golf Club, who shot 80-79. The shot of the day amongst the girls was by Surrey’s Pam Burneski, 14, of The Redwoods Golf Course, who holed out her second shot on the par four 11th hole for an eagle, helping her to a fourth place finish.
The divisional winners in the Mr. Lube Long Drive Competition were Jay Kim, 13, of South Surrey, Nick McKnight, Zack MacDougall, 17, of Coquitlam, and Pam Burneski. The Sundog Eyewear Closest-to-the-Pin Competition divisional winners were Adam Svensson, Kyle Dodman, 17, of Abbotsford, Zack MacDougall and Jessica Wallace.
The MJT continues its British Columbia schedule on April 8th and 9th with the MJT Canadian University Coaches Classic at Mayfair Lakes Golf Club in Richmond. For more information or to register, please visit www.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-4653.
About the MJT
As a not-for-profit association, the national Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) presented by Boston Pizza is Canada’s only major junior tour run exclusively by Canadian PGA Professionals. The program helps develop Canada's junior golfers, offering clinics, tournaments, international competitions and more. From free introductory clinics sponsored by Ford to the major CPGA Zone-sponsored junior championships, the MJT offers a quality experience for players. For more information please visit www.maplejt.com.
Contact:
Elaine Denton,
Marketing & PR, MJT
T: 604-943-1645
Email: edenton@maplejt.com