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The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA ProfessionalsPress Release
June 28-30, 2009
Vernon, BC
PLAYOFF DETERMINES MJT OKANAGAN JUNIOR CHAMPION
KELOWNA, B.C.- (July 1, 2009) – A five-hole playoff was needed to determine the overall winner of the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s (MJT) Okanagan Junior Championship which played out June 28th through 30th at Predator Ridge Golf Resort in Vernon, BC, where a packed field of junior golfers from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba competed.
Brady Lee, 17, of Calgary, AB, and Lee Campbell, 17, of Kelowna, tied for the overall first place after 54 holes. Lee, who shot 72-73-75 (220) over the three days, went on to successfully defend his 2008 title by defeating Campbell, 17, of Kelowna, who had fired 70-77-73 (220), on the fifth playoff hole.
Lee, who won low overall, the Boys 17-19 division, and a repeat appearance at the Texas Junior Masters in San Antonio, TX, USA, on July 20th and 21st, said, “Driving the ball was key to my win. It feels good knowing I played a tough course and beat some very good players.”
Strong closing rounds of 72-71 vaulted T.J. McColl, 17, of Surrey, BC, to third place in this tightly contested division (84-72-71=227).
Visitor to Canada, Khaled Attieh, 14, of Saudi Arabia, shot the low round of the day on Tuesday to score a huge come-from-behind victory in the Boys 14-16 division. “The course was in great shape and the layout is beautiful,” he said, after firing 75-78-70=223. “It feels great to win and I hope it happens more often.” Lucas Gatto, 14, of Burnaby, BC, who fired 77-76 the first two days, posted a closing round score of 74 to pull into a tie for second place with Harrison Clegg, 16, of Langley, BC, (74-72-81=227).
Local Brandon Ortiz, 13, of Kelowna, playing in his first MJT event, led wire-to-wire in the Boys 13 and under division with scores of 74-75-81 (230), and believed the reason for his success was ‘keeping patient and playing good golf.’ He added, “I feel great about winning; it’s a great feeling.” Runner-up Kevin Vigna, 13, of Burnaby, fired great rounds of 75-78-82 (235). Further back in a tie for third place at 246 total score were Jae Hoon Kim, 12, of Surrey, BC, (87-88-71), and Logan Yanick, 12, of Courtenay, BC, (81-80-85).
Another wire-to-wire victory was posted in the Girls division by defending champion, Jamie Oleksiew, 14, of South Surrey, who cited her tournament highlight as driving the 307 yard 15th hole with a three wood to make birdie. “I feel great about winning. It was awesome being able to play with different people,” she said, rating the conditions as very good other than the windy rounds. Breanne Fredette, 15, of Winnipeg, MB, took second spot after carding 89-83-88 (260) and Rochelle Rezansoff, 16, of Surrey, placed third (87-84-91=262).
The divisional winners in the Mr. Lube Long Drive Competition were Logan Yanick, Callum Robinson, 15, of Langley, Connor O’Reilly, 17, of Edmonton, AB, and Melissandre Genuis, 15, of Calgary. The Sundog Skills competition divisional winners were Kevin Vigna, Khaled Attieh, Brady Lee and Jamie Oleksiew.
The MJT will hold several tournaments in July – in British Columbia these include the MJT Srixon Series at Swan-e-Set Bay Resort in Pitt Meadows on July 17th and 18th, and the MJT Odlum Brown Classic-PGA of BC Junior Championship at Northview Golf Club in Cloverdale, July 27th-29th. The former is a qualifier for the CAN-USA Matches in Tempe, AZ, and the latter for exemptions into the BCGA Junior Championships. For more information or to register, 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 premier and only national junior tour run exclusively by Canadian PGA Professionals. The organization hosts more than 50 events across Canada and also qualifies players for spots to international events in China, Scotland, Australia and many cities in the USA. The MJT offers annual awards, scholarships, and frequent player incentives to help reward player's performance and participation throughout each season. MJT alumni include several Canadian National Champions and many Future Links and Provincial Champions.
Contact: Elaine Denton, Marketing & PR, MJT T: 1-877-943-1645 Email: edenton@maplejt.com