Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

September 24, 2011
Pitt Meadows, BC

Baek’s eight birdies among great scores at MJT’s Pitt Meadows stop

For Immediate Release – Pitt Meadows, BC – (September 26, 2011) – Young golfers took advantage of the last good weather day of summer 2011 this past Saturday, September 24, and carded some outstanding scores in the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s MJT British Columbia Fall One-Day Series at Pitt Meadows Golf Club in Pitt Meadows.

MJT veteran, Oscar Baek, 16, of Coquitlam, notched up his third Boys 14-16 title on the MJT this season in superb style after firing an incredible round of 67, which included eight birdies. Baek also claimed the low overall by just one stroke, as fellow Coquitlam resident, Steven Diack, 19, shot a fine 68 to win the Boys 17-19 title. In the Girls division, another MJT veteran, Keanna Mason, 15, of Maple Ridge, carded an excellent even par round of 72 to win by two strokes, and in the tightly contested Boys 13 and under division, 12-year-olds A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam and Perry Xin of Vancouver both shot one-over-par 73 to tie for the lead.

Runners-up to Baek in Boys 14-16 were Alex Park, 14, of Vancouver, and Nick Yan, 15, of Coquitlam, who both shot 74, while in the Boys 17-19 division, Langley residents Ryan Saran, 19, who shot 75, and Callum Robinson, 17, who finished with a 77, came second and third respectively. Division winner, Diack, commented afterwards, “It feels pretty good (to win) – I’ve wanted to put a good round together for a while and I’m happy it came in a tournament especially. My par saves on 12 and 13 were the highlights as I was not hitting great tee shots but kept a good attitude and got up and down on two tough lies. I just felt like I was swinging smoothly all day and not thinking about anything but the present time.”

In the Girls division, Lily He, 12, of Pitt Meadows, came second with a 74, and Brooklyn Kraakman, 17, of Deroche, took third (77). Mason stated that her win felt good: “It was a great way to end the year with a win. My plans for the off-season are to try to practice as much as possible and really focus on my school work.”

Five players were all within striking distance of the win in the Boys 13 and under division, where the title was determined by retrogression and went to A. J. Ewart, who plans to train, practice and ‘watch the Canucks’ in the off-season. Ewart believed his win was made possible by a lot of birdies and putting very well. “My short game was on but my driver was off. I feel really good (about the win) and I am more confident in myself.” Xin had to settle for runner-up while three players were just one stroke back in third place, all tied at 74: James Chang, 13, of Richmond, Jae Wook Lee, 12, of Langley, and Roy Kang, 12, of North Vancouver.

In the Mr. Lube Long Drive contest, winners for each division were Roy Kang, Jun Kang of Port Moody (no relation), Steven Diack and Brooklyn Kraakman. The Sundog Eyewear Closest to the Pin division winners were Connor Atkinson of Bow, WA, Richard Yu of Richmond, Alex Leech of Mission and Alisha Lau of Richmond. The Golf Town Comeback Awards went to a player in each division who improved the most strokes on the back nine versus the front nine, and were won by Trevor Good of Coquitlam, Jordan McKay of Langley, Paul Bordignon of Burnaby and Winnie Hyun of Winnipeg, MB. There were also dozens of draw prize winners.

The last stop in the MJT British Columbia Fall One-Day series is October 15 at University Golf Club in Vancouver. For full details, 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 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 7-13 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. For more information please visit www.maplejt.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: MJT - Elaine Denton - edenton@maplejt.com - 1-877-859-GOLF