Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

July 16-18, 2014
Surrey, BC

Juniors ace PGA-based set-up at MJT Odlum Brown Classic-PGA of BC Junior Championship

Surrey, BC – (July 18, 2014) – The Odlum Brown Classic, a major event on Canada’s number one-played Junior Golf Tour, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), played out in great weather Wednesday through Friday, July 16th to 18th, on Northview Golf Course in Surrey, B.C., where a packed field of top junior golfers teed off on the superbly conditioned Canal Course, with a cut after 36 holes for the final round on the Ridge Course. Endorsed by the Professional Golfers’ Association of British Columbia (PGA of BC), the event offered up division titles and various rankings for the 54 hole tournament, and many under-par rounds were recorded by the juniors on the same course set-up as played on the PGA Tour during the Air Canada Championship years.

Odlum Brown Limited’s Vice President of Sales and Business Development, Kim Abbott, was on hand to present awards which included exemptions into the San Diego Junior Amateur in San Diego, CA, and International Players Championship in Beaumont, CA, both in early 2015.

The choice of one of these spots goes to overall winner Edward Metcalfe, 18, of Surrey, who repeated as MJT Odlum Brown Classic-PGA of BC Junior Boys 17-19 Champion with an outstanding five-under-par total score (69, 71, 71=211). “I sunk an important birdie putt on 16 from the fringe on a course that was in the best shape that I have seen this year,” he said. “Winning this tournament was really great, especially since I defended my title.” Runner-up in this division was Cole Briggs, 17, of Langley, BC, who fired solid rounds of 74, 70, 73 (217) to edge first-round leader Jake Scarrow, 17, of Dewdney, BC (67, 79, 72=218) by one stroke.

It was a wire-to-wire victory for Adam Veenstra in the Juvenile division, after the 16-year-old made the trip from Smithers, BC, worth his while and carded brilliant scores of 70, 70, 73 for a three-under-par total of 213. “The course was in great shape, greens were slick, overall it was perfect,” he stated. “Driving the par four 8th hole and making the putt for eagle was definitely a highlight. It feels great (to win) – I am hoping to compete in a few more tournaments this summer and am excited to see how they go.” Runner-up to Veenstra was Harry Bains, 16, of Surrey, who played some great golf (74, 70, 74=218), while third place went to class-act Taylor Patrick, 15, also of Surrey, (73, 78, 73=224). 

The story of the first round was 13-year-old Raymond Li of Vancouver, BC, after his brilliant opening score of an eight-under-par 64 from the white tees catapulted him into a commanding lead in the Bantam Boys division. Li followed it up with rounds of 75, 77 for a total score of 216, and made the best speech to date as a MJT Champion: “I must thank Odlum Brown for all the support they’ve given to this tournament. The course and conditions were 10 out of 10, Northview really outdid themselves. This was a great event but this couldn’t have happened without the help of MJT, Odlum Brown, my parents and Northview Golf Course.”  Runner-up was Daniel Sun, 14, of Surrey, who shot 69, 78, 75 (222) while Jack Dickie, 14, of Burnaby, BC, posted scores of 73, 73, 84 (230) to take third spot on the podium.                                          

A stellar girls field saw Hannah Lee crowned as MJT Odlum Brown Classic-PGA of BC Junior Girls Champion after the 14-year-old held off the competition with strong scores of 72, 69, 74 (215). “The competitors in this tournament played very well the whole tournament so it was definitely a challenge. I’m very happy to win – it was a tough field out there for the past three days.” There was a tie for second place at 220 total score between Shu Nan(Sophie) Liu, 15, of Surrey (78, 68, 74) and Marie Donnici, 18, of Vancouver (71, 73, 76), who begins a full-ride golf scholarship at the University of Hawaii next month.

The divisional winners in the Mr. Lube Long Drive contest were Avery Struck of Sunshine Coast Golf Club in Halfmoon Bay, BC, Jerry Zerui Liu of Seymour Golf Club in West Vancouver, Mathew McConnachie of Morgan Creek Golf Club in Surrey, and Josh Legge of Myrtle Point Golf Club in Powell River, BC. The Sundog Eyewear Closest-to-the-Pin Competition winners were Euna Han of Meadow Gardens in Coquitlam, BC, Keith Ng of Mayfair Lakes Golf Club in Richmond, BC, Cameron Welch  of Kelowna Golf and Country Club in Kelowna, BC, and Josh Legge. Golf Town Comeback Awards for best second day improvement in score went to Sophie Liu, Chris Buckland of Morgan Creek Golf Club, Willis Lee of Wolfpack Golf Club in Langley, BC, and David Stark of Hazelmere Golf Club in Surrey.

The Boston Pizza-presented Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour heads to the Okanagan next for the MJT Ford Series at The Harvest Golf Club in Kelowna on July 28th and 29th, a tournament which also features an Interclub Competition with net scores.  For full details and online registration, interested juniors can visit www.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-4653.

About Odlum Brown Limited: Odlum Brown Limited is an independent, BC-based, full-service investment firm providing disciplined investment advice and objective research with a singular focus on clients. Established in 1923, the firm offers a full range of investment products including equities, fixed income, mutual funds and GIC’s; and financial, retirement and estate planning through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Odlum Brown Financial Services Limited. For more information visit www.OdlumBrown.com Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund.

About the MJT: The non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour presented by Boston Pizza is Canada’s 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 Cleveland Golf, Srixon, Ford, Mr. Lube, Golf Town 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 CONTACT: MJT - Elaine Denton -  edenton@maplejt.com -  1-877-859-GOLF

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Reminder: Results for the full field in the MJT Odlum Brown Classic-PGA of BC Junior Championship at Northview GC can be found here.