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Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour
The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA ProfessionalsPress Release
June 27-28, 2009
Antigonish, NS
PAUIG JOINS MJT TEAM CANADA TO SCOTLAND AT ANTIGONISH STOP
Antigonish, NS - (June 29, 2009) – The first of the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s (MJT) three-tournament circuit in Nova Scotia teed off this past weekend at the ‘Heart of the Highlands’ Antigonish Golf Club in Antigonish, where players were also vying for a spot in the Scotland Kingdom of Fife Team Matches in St. Andrews, UK, this August. The rest of the eight-player team to Scotland are being selected from other MJT tournaments across the country.
Top eligible qualifier for the event was Jose Gabriel Pauig, 16, of Bedford, who won the Boys 14-16 division after carding 74-80 (154), and will now join MJT Team Canada to Scotland. Citing the 74 he shot on day one as his tournament highlight, Pauig went on to say, “I thought that 155 would have a good chance to win, and that proved to be the case with my 154.” A little worried at times, he noted “Corey (MacDonald) and Dan (Ryan) seemed to be on my heels the whole time,” but that didn’t stop the 16-year-old. “I feel pretty fortunate to come out with a win with how difficult the course played,” he said, “I guess it was the same for everybody and I was just able to stay patient and hold on.” Just two strokes off the pace on day one, runner-up Corey MacDonald, 16, of Beaver Bank, shot 76-83 (159) for the weekend. Local Dan Ryan, 16, of Antigonish, ranked third in this division with his consistent play, banking double 80’s for a tournament total of 160.
Under cool and cloudy skies, Marcus Van Oirschot, 17, of Antigonish, took first place in the Boys 17-19 division after firing 73-79 (152). “The tee shot I hit on number seven today ended up one foot away from the pin and it’s a tough par three. I was struggling with my irons a little bit all weekend, so it felt nice to pure one,” said Van Oirschot. “I was a little bit nervous but I was able to turn those nerves into positive energy and squeeze out the win. Even though Jose (Pauig) was in the 14-16 Division, I wanted to win overall. Pauig took the lead within the first three holes, but I kept my composure and battled back.” Finishing the weekend with the overall low score, Van Oirschot remarked, “It feels nice to start out the season with a victory and I intend to keep the winning streak alive!” Runner-up in this division, Mark Canfield, 18, of Malagash, knocked a few strokes off his day one tally to finish within six shots of the leader for 81-77 (158). Third place in the division went to Sean Fraser, 17, of Sackville who ended the weekend with 77-83 (160).
Myles Creighton, 13, of Digby, who fired solid rounds of 77-80 (157) to win the Boys 13 and under division, said, “My birdie on the first hole of the tournament was a highlight. Coming down the stretch I was thinking, ‘I hope I break 80.’” Jarred Lowe, 12, of Bridgewater, was runner-up with 104-94 (198).
The divisional winners in the Mr. Lube Long Drive Competition were Myles Creighton, Damion Carrier, 16, of Calgary, Alberta, and Sean Fraser. The Sundog Skills competition winners were Creighton and Bryden Boutilier, 16, of Antigonish. Many players also received randomly drawn prizes, and all enjoyed pizza from MJT presenting sponsor, Boston Pizza, after the tournament.
The second stop in Nova Scotia is the MJT Srixon Series at The Mountain Golf Club in Truro on July 27th and 28th, qualifier for exemption into a Future Collegiate World Tour (FCWT) tournament in the USA. 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 (MJT) is presented nationally by Boston Pizza and is Canada’s premier and only junior golf tour run exclusively by Golf Professionals. The MJT is proud to play a role in developing young players, including several Canadian National Champions and many Future Links and Provincial Champions. The MJT also provides opportunities for young Canadians to learn how to golf and introduces players as young as four years old to the game via free instructional clinics. In addition, the MJT encourages young players to further their education with scholarship awards. For more information, please visit www.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-GOLF.
Contact:
Elaine Denton,
Marketing & PR, MJT
T: 1-877-943-1645
Email: edenton@maplejt.com