Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

April 5-6, 2014
Surrey, BC

Kudos to Junior Golfers and James Lepp at MJT KIKKOR Classic

VANCOUVER, B.C. – (April 7, 2013) – It took one playoff hole in the Girls Division and some outstanding scores among 100 junior golfers to produce the top finishers in the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s MJT KIKKOR Classic at Northview Golf and Country Club in Surrey, BC, which played out in tricky spring conditions over the April 5th and 6th weekend.

A highlight for participants was having James Lepp, Canada's Top Amateur Male Golfer in 2005, 2004, and 2003, Canada’s first-ever NCAA Champion, two-time winner on the Canadian Tour, four-time All American, Medallist at the 2005 U.S. Amateur, star of the Golf Channel’s Big Break Greenbrier and KIKKOR Golf founder, present every player with a pair of KIKKOR golf shoes, and provide a ‘Big Break’-style glass-breaking contest after the final round.

Low Overall Title – Junior Boys Division

The Low Overall and MJT Junior Boys 17-19 title was won by Marcus Brown, 18, of Surrey, BC, who fired brilliant rounds of 70-66 (136) to edge Ian (Jae Hoon) Kim, 17, of Surrey, BC (69-68=137), by just one stroke. "My second shot on the 36th hole was key as I knew I needed an eagle (to win),” stated Brown. “I was hoping to outlast Ian (Kim). We went back and forth all day and it felt great to finish on top. It feels amazing."

Third place in the division went to a tie between Michael Griffin, 17, of Victoria, BC (73-68=141) and Ryan Hunt, 19, of Pitt Meadows, BC (72-69=141).

Brown now receives an exemption into the FCWT National Championships at PGA National Golf Club, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, in May 2014, in addition to securing a spot in the inaugural MJT International Players Championship, an exciting new event the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour is introducing in 2015 in the Fort Myers, Florida area.

Girls Division

A playoff in the Girls Division led to Alix Kong, 17, of West Vancouver, BC (73-70), beating Alisha Lau, 14, of Richmond, BC (73-70), after stellar play from both girls had them tied for the lead with total scores of 143. Regarding her win, Kong states, “It feels great as my game really came together this weekend." Third place went to Sumie Francois, 14, of Burnaby, BC, who shot 76-70 (146).

Lau, who won the MJT season opener in March, claimed the division’s Mr. Lube Long Drive prize. Tiffany Kong, 13, of Vancouver, BC, took home the Sundog Eyewear Closest-to-the-Pin award plus, due to her much-improved final round of 73, the Golf Town Comeback Award due to her 11 stroke improvement.

Juvenile Boys Division

The MJT Juvenile Boys 15-16 Division saw Alex Francois, 16, Burnaby, BC (71-70=141) take the top spot by outscoring the two second place finishers by seven strokes. "The highlight for me was my streak of four birdies after starting with a par, double and a bogey,” stated Francois. “It feels great to win early on this season because it gives me the confidence of being able to fight my way down the stretch knowing that I'm capable of hitting the right shots when it counts most."

Tied for second place were Mathew McConnachie, 15, of Surrey, BC (74-74) and Taylor Patrick, 15, of Surrey, BC (73-75), both shooting 148 for the two-day tournament. Francois also took home the Mr. Lube Long Drive title, while Morgan Benko, 16, of Cloverdale, BC took the Golf Town Comeback Award, besting his first round score by eight strokes.

Bantam Boys Division

An outstanding final round of 67 in the Bantam Division secured the top prize for Duncan, BC’s Callum Davison, 13, (71-67=138). "It felt good to win, and I shot a good round - my tournament best,” stated an excited Davison.

Second place went to Khan Lee, 14, of Surrey, BC (71-72=143) while third place went to Josh Killins, 14, of Coquitlam, BC (71-76=147). Khan also took home the Mr. Lube Long Drive title, while Davison claimed the Sundog Eyewear Skills Award. Ronnie Postnikoff, 13, of Medicine Hat, AB took home the Goff Town Comeback Award by shooting 14 strokes better in his final round.

To view the full leaderboard and final results, please click here. 

The next Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour stop in BC is the MJT Junior Worlds Qualifier at Pagoda Ridge Golf Course in Langley on May 17 and 18. For more information 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 Canada¹s number-one played Junior Golf Tour as well as the only national junior tour run exclusively by PGA of Canada Professionals and the ‘Road to College Golf’ in Canada. The organization is generously supported by Boston Pizza and Premier Partners Ford of Canada, Mr. Lube, Cleveland Golf, Srixon, Gatorade and Travel Underwriters, in addition to valued Tournament and Product Partners. The MJT hosts more than 70 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 program 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 PGA of Canada 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:

Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour
Elaine Denton, Director of Marketing and Administration
edenton@maplejt.com 
1-877-859-GOLF 
 
Boilingpoint Group
Steve Kim
skim@boilingpointgroup.com 
1-604-315-2846