LOG IN
Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour
The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA ProfessionalsPress Release
May 14-15, 2005
Hidden Lake G&CC • Burlington, ON
PLAY OFF WINS SPOTS IN INTERNATIONAL EVENTS ON MAPLE LEAF JUNIOR GOLF TOUR
Burlington, ON ? Three young golfers from Ontario will be heading to major international tournaments after posting the low scores in a Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) stop at Hidden Lake Golf Club in Burlington this past weekend.
The two day double qualifier was the opening tournament of the Ontario season for the Boston Pizza-presented Maple Leaf Junior Tour. The event was to qualify two boys for the 53rd annual East Aurora International Junior Masters (EAIJM) in New York, June 27-July 1, as well as one boy and one girl for the Future Collegians World Tour (FCWT) National Championship at PGA National Golf Club in Florida, May 28-30.
Eric Velanoff, of Heidelberg, defeated Mike McKenzie, 17, of Cambridge on the first hole of a play-off with a par to McKenzie?s bogey, winning both the Boys 17 and up division and spots to both the EAIJM and FCWT events.
?I stayed patient throughout both days and, for this course, hitting it well off the tee was key,? said Velanoff. The 17 year old, who carded back-to-back rounds of 72 for a 144 total score, remarked that his achievement "meant a lot as it is my first tournament win.?
McKenzie shot 73-71 for a 144 total and received the second exemption into the EAIJM in New York. Third place in the division was claimed by Paul Deuzeman, 18, of Cobourg, who last year attended the EAIJM through the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour. Deuzeman shot 73-74 (147).
Velanoff also received the boys exemption into the FCWT event in Florida, while Danielle Lewis, 18, of Thornhill, won the Girls exemption. Lewis took the MJT at Hidden Lake Girls division title with scores of 79-89 (168), defeating Carolyn Halinda, 17, of Fonthill, by two strokes.
?I played well the first day, finishing with a strong lead, but had a poor start second day and had to grind it out,? said Lewis. ?The more I had to scramble the more I began paying attention to players in contention. I had to focus and follow up bad holes with better holes.?
Sarah Steele, 15, of Fonthill, placed third in the Girls division with scores of 96-92 (188).
Cody Pickard, 16, of Thornhill, just missed his final putt to close with an outstanding 68, winning the Boys 14-16 division title and first alternate for the exemptions to Florida and New York. Pickard fired rounds of 77-68 for a 145 total score.
?I followed up a poor opening round and the first two holes of the second round with a solid next 16 holes of five-under-par golf,? said Pickard. ?It means a lot to me to win in a ?come from behind' fashion.?
Three strokes back of Pickard was runner-up Johnny Hall, 16, of Langton, who shot 76-72 (148). Third place in the division was claimed by Josh Bamberger, 15, of Waterloo, who scored 74-76 (150).
In the Boys 13 and under division, 13-year-old Brent McKenzie of Cambridge posted consistent scores of 80-80 to edge first round leader Gajan Sivabalasingham, 11, of Markham, by one stroke. ?It came down to the last hole when I tapped in my three-foot putt,? said McKenzie.
Sivabalasingham shot 79-82 (161). Third place in the division went to Brandon Pearce, 13, of Cambridge, who posted rounds of 84-79 (163).
Division winners in the Mr. Lube Long Drive Competition were Brent McKenzie, Sarah Steele, Dustin Louth, 16, of Washago and Brad Larente, 17, of Cambridge.
The Sundog Closest-to-the-Pin Competition division winners were Sivabalasingham, Lewis, Louth and Jamie MacDonald, 17, of LaSalette.
The non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour, now in its 7th season, is presented by Boston Pizza and is Canada?s only major junior tour run exclusively by Canadian PGA Professionals and endorsed by PGA Tour veterans Dave Barr and Ray Stewart. The Ontario schedule is run by Galt Country Club Professionals Dave Smallwood, Mike Skimson and Steve Georghiades.
The next local tournament is the MJT at Crosswinds Golf Club in Milton, May 28-29, another double qualifier for the Maple Leaf Teams to Mexico and Scotland. For more information or to register, please visit www.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-GOLF.
Contact:
Elaine Denton, Marketing & PR
Tel: 604-943-1645
Email: edenton@maplejt.com