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The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA ProfessionalsPress Release
May 2-3, 2009
Winnipeg, MB
COCKERILL CLAIMS LOW OVERALL AT ST. BONIFACE
Winnipeg, MB – (May 4, 2009) – The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) opened its Manitoba season with a two-day tournament at St. Boniface Golf Club in Winnipeg this past weekend. A field of over 60 competitive young golfers turned out to compete in four divisions, with an exemption up for grabs into the 57th annual East Aurora International Junior Masters (EAIJM) in New York State.
Despite the cold and wind during the first round everyone was happy to be playing competitive golf again. Aaron Cockerill, 17, of Stony Mountain, played solid both days shooting 73-71 for a seven stroke victory over Bryce Barr, 17, of Winnipeg, claiming low overall score for the tournament and the boys 17-19 title. “The MJT have good tournaments with strong fields,” said Cockerill. “It’s nice to get it done down the stretch today.”
Ed Boge, MJT Tournament Director, commented on the boys 17-19 top finishers: “Aaron is strong competitor who plays very well under pressure. This is Bryce’s best finish in an MJT event and he said that he only missed one fairway in his second round which gave him that second place finish. Kevin Hicks, who likes to bomb his drives, finished third.” Hicks, 17, of Winnipeg, shot 73-79; Barr is the eligible qualifier for the EAIJM exemption.
In the Girls division, Bri-ann Tokariwski, 16, of Winnipeg, battled Lindsay Stewart, 18, of Selkirk, to capture the title. It came down to the last few holes with Tokariwski shooting a great score of 86 and winning by one shot. “My goals are to make the summer games team and lower my handicap,” she said. “It (the win) feels great.” Stewart fired 88-84, while MJT first-timer Dana Todd, 13, of Winnipeg, finished third.
Darren Kelpin, 13, of Stony Mountain, took hold of the boys 13 and under division and shot 83-86, winning by ten shots. “Darren hits a long ball which came to his advantage on a shorter course,” said Boge. Kelpin cited staying relaxed every moment as key to his victory. “I decided to play MJT because I enjoy playing tournament golf and I thought the MJT would be lots of fun and it is,” he said. MJT regular Connor Shaw, 12, of Thompson, played consistent golf closing with an 88 to capture second place. Myles Creighton, 13, of Digby, beat out Zach Sackett, 13, of Winnipeg, by one shot to finish third.
Garrett Neiles, 16, of Winnipeg, another veteran on the MJT, captured the boys 14-16 division by one shot over Scott Mazur. “Garrett hit some awesome drives and great wedge shots,” said Boge. “Scott Mazur fired a great final round of 76 and did his best to put some heat on Garrett, but Garrett birdied 16 and played well enough in the final two holes.” Neiles said he felt relieved and proud to have won, citing his sharp short game as well as the Gatorade and Quaker chewy bars provided on the first tee as reasons for his victory! Myles Sullivan, 16, of Portage la Prairie, shot 78-80 to finish third in this division.
The divisional winners in the Mr. Lube Long Drive Competition were Kelpin, Neiles, Tokariwski and Hicks. The Sundog Skills competition divisional winners were Creighton, Scott Watson, 15, of Winnipeg, and Taylor Reilly, 17, of Winnipeg.
The next MJT stop in Manitoba is the Srixon Series at South Interlake Golf Club in Winnipeg on June 13th and 14th - a qualifier for MJT Team Canada to Scotland this August. 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. MJT alumni include several Canadian National Champions and many Future Links and Provincial Champions. The MJT aims to develop champions, in golf and in life. For more information please visit www.maplejt.com.