Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

July 3-4, 2010
London, ON

For Immediate Release

FOUR NEW MJT-ONTARIO PGA JUNIOR CHAMPIONS CROWNED


London, ON – (July 5, 2010) – The two-day Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s (MJT) Ontario PGA Junior Championship successfully concluded Sunday July 4th at Forest City National Golf Club in London, where players competed in four divisions in the Golf Association of Ontario-ranked event. Eligible players were also competing for the chance to qualify for the Singha World Junior Golf Championship inThailand this November.

Whistle Bear Golf Club juniors dominated the top three spots in the Boys 17-19 division, with Jason Watchorn, 18, of Waterloo, being crowned MJT-Ontario PGA Junior Boys 17-19 Champion after a great closing round of 71 vaulted him into first place (76-71=147). “The highlight for me was starting four-under on the first five holes to start the second round,” he said. “I had a good lead so just tried to hit solid shots and enjoy the feeling.” Runner-up in his division was Taylor Prilisauer, 18, of Cambridge, who shot 74-76 (150), followed by Brett Kennedy, 17, of Kitchener, who posted back-to-back rounds of 76 for a 152 total.

The MJT-Ontario PGA Junior Boys 14-16 Champion was another Whistle Bear junior and MJT newcomer, Luke Moser, 15, of Waterloo, who shot 73-74 (147) to beat both David French and Will Eberlee by four strokes. “My chip in on 16 was a highlight,” said Moser. French, 15, of Brights Grove and Sawmill Creek Golf Resort (75-76), and Eberlee, 16, of Caledon and Shelburne Golf Club (74-77), tied for second place at 151 total score.

Moser and Watchorn, who tied for the low overall score in the field, will playoff at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge for the spot to the Singha World Junior Golf Championship in Thailand.

Sundrim Golf Club’s Craig Stefureak held onto his first round lead with a fine closing score of 76 to shoot 156 and claim his third victory this season. The MJT-Ontario PGA Junior Boys 13 and Under Champion said, “I could have shot 71 but I grinded it through. My good friend, Connor Doucette, gave me a good run, but I stuck with it. Coming down the stretch I was thinking, ‘Play your game – I know I can win if I play like me’ and I did down the stretch.” Waterloo residents and Whistle Bear Golf Club juniors, Trevor Ranton, 13, and Connor Doucette, 13, carded 84-82 (166) and 81-86 (167) to finish second and third in the division respectively.

Rachel Pollock, 15, of Guelph and Cutten Golf Club, battled hard for her second MJT win and the MJT-Ontario PGA Junior Girls title with scores of 80-84 (164). “The highlight for me was sticking a wedge tight on the 18th hole the first day,” she summed up. “The other players were on my tail the whole time! Meghan Bennett was a tough competitor. I was just trying to hit the greens and make a birdie.”
Bennett, 15, of Pickering and Whitevale Golf Club, ended up four strokes back in second place after firing 83-85 (168). Whistle Bear’s Stefanie Bothwell, 15, of Cambridge, finished third (88-83=171).

Mr. Lube Long Drive Competition awards were presented to Alex Stec, 13, of Keswick, Keaton Jones, 14, of Kitchener, Braam Botha, 19, of Stoney Creek, and Stefanie Bothwell. The Sundog Closest-to-the-Pin competition winners were Connor Doucette, Jonathan Lam of Markham, Michael Jiggins, 19, of Cambridge, and Maddy Piccininni, 15, of Toronto. Highlighted for the Golf Town ‘Comeback Awards’ were Henry Luel, 11, of Oakville, Truman Tai, 16, of Markham, Joshua Iannantuono, 17, of Fonthill, and Alisha Corringham, 14, of Pickering.

The next stop in Ontario on the Boston Pizza-presented MJT is at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor on July 10th and 11th, a qualifier for the CAN-USA Team Matches in Arizona. For more information, 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 England, Australia, Thailand 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 PGA tour player Chris Baryla, players on the Nationwide and Canadian Tours, several Canadian National Junior Champions and many Future Links and Provincial Junior Champions.

Contact: Elaine Denton, Marketing & PR, MJT T: 1-877-943-1645 Email: edenton@maplejt.com