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Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour
The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA ProfessionalsPress Release
July 27-29, 2009
Cloverdale (Surrey), BC
13-UNDER PAR VICTORY FOR MJT ODLUM BROWN CLASSIC- PGA OF BC JUNIOR CHAMPION
Four qualify for BCGA Junior Championship Exemptions
CLOVERDALE, B.C. – (July 30, 2009) – A major event on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), endorsed by the Professional Golfers’ Association of British Columbia (PGA of BC) and British Columbia Golf Association (BCGA), played out in the heat over Monday through Wednesday, July 27th to 29th, on Northview Golf Course in Cloverdale, B.C. The 54-hole tournament, the Odlum Brown Classic, is part of a series of national events pioneered by the MJT in conjunction with the provincial CPGA zones. A full field of 100 junior golfers teed off on the superbly conditioned Canal Course, with a cut after 36 holes to the top 60 players on the Ridge Course.
Tournament sponsor Odlum Brown Limited’s Vice President, Doris Gnandt, was on hand to present awards to the top finishers, who will also receive exemptions into the respective BCGA Junior Championships (Bantam, Juvenile, Junior Girls and Junior Boys) for 2010.
These winners included Vancouver’s Sylvia Park, 16, of Mayfair Lakes Golf Club, who was crowned MJT Odlum Brown Classic PGA of BC Junior Girls Champion in outstanding fashion after a wire-to-wire victory with rounds of 64-68-71 (203) - a brilliant 13-under-par total score. “I practiced a lot, my short game was the best!” she said. “It was so hot but I had a lot of birdies. It feels good to win.” Six strokes back in this division was Jisoo Keel, 13, of Coquitlam and Pitt Meadows Golf Club, who shot 70-67-72. Third place went to Kelowna’s Megan Osland, 16, of Kelowna Golf Club, who carded consistent rounds of 71-74-72 (217).
A fine final round of 68 on the challenging Ridge course ensured another victory for last year’s champion from the younger division, 14-year-old Kevin Kwon of Coquitlam, BC, and Swan-e-set Bay Resort, who now ran away with the MJT Odlum Brown Classic PGA of BC Junior Boys 14-16 title with his 8-under-par total score of 208 (71-69-68). “I feel that my short game won me this tournament. On the last day I drained a 30-footer for eagle and made another 40 footer to save par on the next (hole). I also had to be patient because my competitors were playing well,” Kwon explained. “I am extremely happy to win for many reasons. First this is my first victory in my new division and also I had very good competition. None of my opponents gave it to me easy and I had to really focus to win it at the end.”
Runner-up to Kwon was first round leader Jay Kim, 16, of Surrey and Morgan Creek Golf Club, who shot 69-70-75 (214), and two strokes back in third place was Taizhi Yang, 15, of Langley and Redwoods Golf Club (71-70-75).
A brilliant opening round of 63 catapulted West Vancouver’s Henry Griffin, 17, of Seymour Golf Club, into a commanding lead in the Boys 17-19 division which he held on to over the three days, ending up with scores of 63-78-71 (212) to win the Champion’s trophy by three strokes over MJT newcomer Matt Gudmundson, 17, of Chilliwack Golf Club in Chilliwack (73-72-70). Fresh off his participation in the Texas Junior Masters in San Antonio, Texas, Lee Campbell, 17, of Kelowna and Two Eagles Golf Academy, took third place in the group after shooting 72-75-69 (216).
The MJT Odlum Brown Classic PGA of BC Junior Boys 13 and Under Champion was Swan-e-set Bay Resort’s Oscar Baek, 13, of Coquitlam, who stayed in the 70’s to win, shooting 77-75-78 (230) to beat Kevin Vigna by three strokes. “I concentrated on hitting every shot with the best of my abilities and didn’t worry about getting a double or bogey and thought positive,” stated Baek on the reason for his victory. “I didn’t really care what other people were shooting. I knew everyone – well, mostly everyone – makes mistakes so I just kept playing my best. I take lessons at Northview with Rob Houlding, and I felt very excited about winning, but I always have to remind myself to practice harder in order to win more tournaments.”
Runner-up Vigna, 13, of Burnaby and Vancouver Golf Club, closed with a fine 74 to card 77-82-74. There was a tie for third place at 235 total score between Alexander Jewkes, 12, of Vancouver and Capilano Golf Club (80-76-79) and Jun Kang, 13, of Port Moody and Redwoods Golf Club (78-73-84).
The divisional winners in the Mr. Lube Long Drive Competition were Oscar Baek, Jay Kim, Cole Balachanoff, 18, of Coquitlam, and Rochelle Rezansoff, 16, of Surrey. The Sundog Skills competition divisional winners were Baek, Kim, Devin Morgan, 18, of South Surrey, and Jisoo Keel.
Next stop in B.C. is the MJT Lindsay Kenney Classic at Chilliwack Golf Club in Chilliwack, August 10th and 11th – a qualifier for an open invite to a Future Collegiate World Tour (FCWT) event in the USA. For more information or to register, please visit www.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-4653.
About the MJT
As a not-for-profit association, the national Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) presented by Boston Pizza is Canada’s only major junior tour run exclusively by Canadian PGA Professionals. The program helps develop Canada's junior golfers, offering clinics, tournaments, international competitions and more. From free introductory clinics sponsored by Ford to the major CPGA Zone-sponsored junior championships, the MJT aims to develop champions, in golf and in life. For more information please visit www.maplejt.com.
About Odlum Brown Limited:
Odlum Brown Limited is an independent, BC based, full-service investment firm focused on providing professional investment advice, objective research and personalized client service. The firm offers equities, fixed income, mutual funds and GICs, as well as financial, retirement and estate planning, and a Young Investors Club for children. For more information visit - www.OdlumBrown.com
Contact:
Elaine Denton, Marketing & PR, MJT, T: 1-877-943-1645 , Email: edenton@maplejt.com