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Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour
The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA ProfessionalsPress Release
August 5-6, 2009
Calgary, AB
MOUG CROWNED MJT-PGA OF ALBERTA JUNIOR BOYS 17-19 CHAMPION
Calgary, AB – (August 7, 2009) – Players on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) battled it out this past week under difficult weather conditions at McKenzie Meadows Golf Club in Calgary during the MJT-PGA of Alberta Junior Championship, seeking to qualify for the Texas Junior Golf Tour’s (TJGT) Holiday Classic at Barton Creek, Austin, Texas, this December.
Heavy rains forced shortening of the three day tournament to two days (August 5th and 6th) and John Moug, 17, of Calgary, topped the field to take the low overall score and MJT-PGA of Alberta Junior Boys 17-19 Champion’s trophy, clinching the spot to the major event in Texas. Constant mist was not enough to dampen Moug’s stellar game as he finished the two rounds at two-under-par (73-69). Moug was excited about his finish, saying “this is my first big win, it makes me believe that I can win again. I hit it straight, hit a lot of greens and tried to be consistent.” Moug never knew he held the lead until the last hole. “Connor (O’Reilly) had me worried late in the round, I knew that I was winning on the last tee and just tried to play safe, nothing greedy!”
Runner-up Connor O’Reilly, 17, of Edmonton, had two consistent rounds of 72, playing the tough and well-manicured McKenzie Meadows course at even par for the tournament (144 total score.) Rounding out the top three in the 17-19 division was first round leader Gage Murphy, 19, of Rosebud, who went 71-75 (146) to finish the event at two-over-par.
There was a shootout amongst the top three in the Boys 14-16 division, with Mac Keats, 16, of Cochrane firing 74-75 (149) to finish one shot ahead of Derek Rucki, 15, of Chestermere (76-74=150) and two shots ahead of Ted Trewella, 16, of Calgary (75-76=151). It went back and forth with the lead changing hands many times throughout the final round and finally ended up with Keats as MJT-PGA of Alberta Junior Boys 14-16 Champion. “I was hitting good, solid shots down the stretch and finished strong,” he said, summing up the key to his victory.
MJT-PGA of Alberta Junior Boys 13 and Under Champion was Patrick Murphy, 12, of Crossfield, who shot an impressive 75-72 (147), winning his third MJT event in as many tries in convincing style and attributing his “attitude and putting” to his solid play throughout the year. Runner-up was Nathan Corrin, 12, of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, who ended up at 77-79 (156), while Logan Yanick, 12, of Courtenay, British Columbia, posted rounds of 82-80 (162) for third place.
Jamie Oleksiew, 14, of South Surrey, British Columbia, successfully defended her title at McKenzie Meadows and shot a great 75-74 (149) for the tournament. “I turned it around the second day; I had a rough start but got it going on the back nine,” she said. Finishing in a tie for second place among the girls at 171 total score were Winnie Hyun, 14, of Winnipeg, Manitoba (90-81), and Kat Kennedy, 14, of Okotoks (88-83).
The divisional winners in the Mr. Lube Long Drive Competition were Nathan Corrin, Matt Brown, 16, of Calgary, Steven Scheidt, 18, of Calgary and Sydney MacDonald, 15, of Calgary. The Sundog Skills competition divisional winners were Corrin, Matt Brown, 16, of Calgary, Craig Bloom, 18, of Calgary, and MacDonald.
The MJT continues its tour in Alberta on August 24th and 25th with the MJT 1st Choice Savings Series at Picture Butte Golf Club in Picture Butte, another qualifier for a top junior tournament on the TJGT in the USA. 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 (MJT) is presented nationally by Boston Pizza and is Canada’s premier and only junior golf tour run exclusively by Golf Professionals. The MJT is proud to play a role in developing young players, including several Canadian National Champions and many Future Links and Provincial Champions. The MJT also provides opportunities for young Canadians to learn how to golf and introduces players as young as four years old to the game via free instructional clinics. In addition, the MJT encourages young players to further their education with scholarship awards. For more information, please visit www.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-GOLF.
Contact:
Elaine Denton, Marketing & PR, MJT T: 1-877-943-1645 Email: edenton@maplejt.com