Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

May 24-25, 2014
Kingston, NS

Full Field Tees Off MJT’s Atlantic Canada Season Opener at Paragon Golf Club

Kingston, NS – (May 26, 2014) – A full field of keen competitive young golfers teed it up in the Boston Pizza-presented Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s MJT-NSGA Player of the Year Series/Junior Worlds Qualifier at Paragon Golf Club in Kingston, NS on May 24th and 25th, relieved to be finally out on the course after a long winter to compete for titles in four divisions and the chance to be shortlisted for the Callaway Junior World Golf Championships in San Diego, CA, this July.

Shaun Margeson, 14, of Fall River, NS, shot solid scores of 76, 75 (151) from 6128 yards to run away with the MJT Bantam Boys 14 and under title. “The course played tough as the greens were very firm and the windy conditions as well as the cold temperatures made it hard to hit good shots,” he said. “It feels really good to win my division especially because it’s the first tournament of the year.” Graham Gourley, 14, of Fredericton, NB (82, 88) made the trip to the tournament worth his while by tying for second place at 170 total score with Dean Vial, 14, of Port Williams, NS (87, 83).

Another journey to the tournament was justified by Fredericton’s Calvin Ross, 15, who shot 82, 79 (161) from the 6358-yard tees to hold on and edge Andrew Cooke, 16, of Hammonds Plains, NS (84, 78=162) for the MJT Juvenile Boys 15-16 division title. Third place went to Matthew Chandler, 15, of Chester, NS, who posted consistent scores of 82, 81(163).                                                 

A two-stroke victory secured the MJT Junior Boys 17-19 title for Myles Creighton, 18, of Digby, NS, who fired 79, 75 (154) from 6358 yards to beat runner-up Bobby Dunphy, 17, of Antigonish, NS (77, 79=156).  Ian Lewis, 18, of Fall River, NS, took third place in this division after carding rounds of 77, 81 (158).      

Meghan McLean, 15, of Port Williams, came from behind to win the MJT Girls division with scores of 84, 78 (162), edging Elizabeth (Liz) Furniss, 17, of Berwick, NS, by one stroke (82, 81=163). “It was very close between me and Liz, she is like a big sister to me and we had a lot of fun together!” said McLean, who had rated the course in great condition. “As a kid I watched all of the older girls win and it feels great to be in their shoes! I hope the rest of the season will be as good.” Allison Chandler, 16, of Chester, came in third place (87, 79=166).

Margeson, McLean and Sam Young, 17, of Quispamsis, NB, are the eligible members for shortlisted age-specific spots in the Junior World Championships; final spots will be confirmed upon completion of all qualifiers across the country.

The two-day tournament also featured a Mr. Lube Long Drive Competition, where divisional winners were Meghan McLean, Shaun Margeson, Andrew Cooke and Ian Lewis, and a Sundog Eyewear Closest-to-the-Pin Competition, where they were Liz Furniss , John Mosher of Halifax, NS, Ian McLean of Port Williams, and Jonathan Carroll of Bathurst, NB. Golf Town Comeback Awards for best second day improvement in score went to Emily Connors  of Lakeview, NS, Nathan Johnston of Enfield, NS, Tyler Carroll of  Bathurst, and Myles Creighton.

The next Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour stop on the four-event circuit in Atlantic Canada is the MJT-NSGA Player of the Year Series at Amherst Golf Club in Amherst on June 7th and 8th, a qualifier for MJT Team Canada to Australia. For more information or to register please visit www.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-4653.

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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.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour: Elaine Denton, Director of Marketing and Administration   edenton@maplejt.com   1-877-859-GOLF