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Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA Professionals

Press Release

September 1-2, 2012
Waterloo, ON

Stefureak wins TPC Sawgrass Spot on MJT at Grey Silo

Waterloo, ON – (September 3, 2012) – Craig Stefureak of Caledonia, ON, was the eligible winner of a paid spot into the Future Collegiate World Tour’s (FCWT) TPC Sawgrass event in Ponte Vedre Beach, Florida, after winning low overall out of the full field of Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) players in the tournament at Grey Silo Golf Club in Waterloo, Ontario, over the Labour Day weekend.

15-year old Stefureak fired two solid rounds of 73-70 (143) from the 6532 yard tees on the very difficult course to earn the exemption into the FCWT event, which is closely watched by U.S. and Canadian College Coaches, fulfilling a mandate of the MJT to be the ‘Road to College Golf’ in Canada. “My driver was lights out. I might have missed two fairways all tournament,” said Stefureak, who won the MJT Boys 14-16 division title by three shots over nearest rival Trevor Ranton, 15, of Waterloo, (75-71=146). “The course was challenging and had some tough points; it was in good condition. The win feels great and I hope to do it again.” Rounding out the top three in the 14-16 division was Welsey Day, 16, of Ajax, ON, who shot 75-72 (147).

The MJT Boys 17-19 Division title went to Jonathon Collins of Fergus, ON, who carded rounds of 73-71 (144) to edge out Chris Wilson, 17, of Toronto, ON (73-72=145), by one shot. “My personal highlight has to be a clutch 20 foot putt on the 16th hole to take a one shot lead,” said Collins. “Coming down the stretch my only thoughts were stay calm and breathe. To win is the best feeling in golf so far.” Rounding out the top three in the division was Matthew Chiasson, 18, of Cambridge, ON, who shot 72-74 (146).

13-year-old Tyler Nagano of Toronto continued his winning streak on the MJT, taking home the Boys 13 and Under gold medal after firing great rounds of 69-72 (141). “My personal highlight was hitting a six iron to one foot to get the Sundog Eyewear Closest-to-the-Pin,” he said, adding, “It feels great to win my division title because it is a great way to end the season.” Runner-up was Anthony Occhiuto, 13, of Guelph, ON, who carded 74-78 (152), while finishing third was Jason Chung, 13, of Thornhill, ON, who scored 83-74 (157).


Kennedy Bodfield, 15, of St. Catherines, ON, fired a great final round of 73 to tie for the lead in the Girls division at 148 total score with first-round leader Michelle Ruiz, 17, of Mississauga, ON (74-74), ultimately winning the title in a playoff. “I feel this is the best tournament golf I've played this summer,” said Bodfield. “I tried my best to play par golf today and only missed two bad putts on 9 and 10. The course played tough but fair – an excellent venue, I enjoyed this course and it feels great to get my second win of the year. Michelle (Ruiz) and Monica (Gabriele) played great and made me focus more on my game.” Monica Gabriele, 16, of Mississauga, placed third with solid rounds of 77-74 (151).

The Mr. Lube Long Drive Competition in each division was won by Tyler Nagano, Jack Quirke of Waterloo, Mitch Grassing of Waterloo, and Michelle Ruiz, while the divisional Sundog Eyewear Closest-to-the-Pin Competitions were won by Tyler Nagano, Paul Edgar of Kitchener, ON, Ben Thornton of Innerkip, ON, and Alisha Corringham of Pickering, ON. Golf Town Comeback Awards went to Michael Rizzo of Brantford, ON, Paul Edgar, Marko Pierides of Keswick, ON, and Elanna Lachaine-DeMarchi of Cambridge.

The next MJT Ontario Series is at Tarandowah Golfers Club in Avon on September 15-16. 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 PGA of Canada Professionals and the ‘Road to College Golf’ for aspiring young players. The organization hosts more than 60 events across Canada, including free Ford Go Golf Junior Clinics, the MJT Mini Tour for 7–12 year olds, and multi-day events for competitive players which also qualify juniors for international competitions. The MJT offers annual awards, scholarships, and frequent player incentives to help reward player's performance and participation throughout each season. MJT alumni include many Professional Tour players and Canadian PGA Professionals, as well as Canadian Amateur, National and Provincial Junior Champions. The MJT aims to develop champions, in golf and in life, promoting the game from grassroots through to provincial, national, university and professional level.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Elaine Denton, MJT edenton@maplejt.com 1-877-859-GOLF www.maplejt.com