Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

August 15-16, 2016
Cambridge, ON

Kellett low overall, four-way playoff needed in Freedom 55 Financial-presented MJT at Whistle Bear

Cambridge, ON – August 17, 2016 – The final round of the MJT Players Championship presented by Freedom 55 Financial at Whistle Bear Golf Club proved to be quite a test as significant rain was followed by high winds, leading to some very difficult scoring conditions in the Golf Canada-ranked event in Cambridge, ON, August 15 and 16. Mike Skimson, MJT Tournament Director, said he was very pleased, however, with yet another top notch event at Whistle Bear.  “Excellent conditions greeted the players as the grounds staff have been working hard to prepare for the LPGA event here in a few weeks,” he said. “And it was great to have Freedom 55 Financial Representatives John Cleminson, Rob Gare, and Paul Westaway take part during the scoring and prize presentations.”

The full field of junior golfers were competing for title in six divisions as well as direct exemptions into the MJT National Championship at The Legacy Golf Resort in Phoenix, AZ, November 11 to 13. This took a four-way playoff in the MJT Junior Boys Division, after a tie for the lead at 150 total score off the blue tees between Eric Shea, 17, of Brantford, ON (73, 77), Minwoo Park, 18, of Toronto, ON, (74, 76), Marcus Slipchuk, 17, of Amherstburg, ON, (73, 77), and Graeme Edwards, 17, of Mississauga, ON (72, 78).  In the end it was Shea who outlasted Park on the third playoff hole.  “I feel great about winning this event.  This field was very strong so it is awesome to come out on top,” said Shea.

Low Overall in the field, however, went to Cam Kellett, 16, of London, ON, who claimed the Freedom 55 Financial MJT Players Championship trophy in the MJT Juvenile Boys Division with an even-par total of 73, 71=144 off the blue tees, holding off runner-up Carter Snowden, 16, of Kitchener, ON (70, 78=148). “I feel incredible about this win,” said Kellett. “It is just amazing to be back in the winner’s circle and to do it here is just a bonus. Carter Snowden, who in my books is one of the best around, made some surprising mistakes and allowed me to slide in with some clutch putting.” Joseph MacNeil, 16, of Orillia, ON, took third in the division (80, 75=155).

It was a great event in the MJT Bantam Boys Division for Jeffrey Fang, 13, of Newmarket, ON, who fired a one-under-par total with scores of 71, 70 (141) off the white tees for a 13 stroke winning margin. “I feel very excited as this is my first MJT win. I chose to play in this event because it is quite a big event and will give me a chance to participate in the MJT National Championship.” Runner-up was Cameron Corbett, 14, of Little Britain, ON (79, 75=154), and sharing third place was Zachary Hart, 14, of New Hamburg, ON (79, 77=156) and Michael Katsman, 14, of Toronto (77, 79=156).

Racking up his fourth MJT Peewee Boys title was Andre Zhu, 10, of Richmond Hill, ON, who was the clear winner after carding 75, 82 (157). “It was because of my short game and driver and playing under the wind,” said Zhu about reasons for his victory. Coming down the stretch, Zhu said all he was thinking was ‘just hit the fairway and green.’ Runner-up position was Ethan Big Canoe, 12, of Lindsay, ON, with a score of 83, 85 (168), and taking third spot was Aiden Shah, 12, of Waterloo, ON (88, 82=170).

Winning her first MJT Girls 15-19 title was Kristen Giles, 16, of Georgetown, ON, who fired steady rounds of 77, 77 (154), and commented, “I feel proud of my win as I battled some extreme weather conditions.  Considering how wet my equipment was and the pouring rain, I focused mainly on securing my grip and continuing to turn through on all my shots. Attitude is a key component of golf and I ensured that I stayed positive even after I hit bad shots.”   Shannon Coffey, 15, of Windsor, ON, scored 77, 79 (156) which gave her the runner up position, and Manuela Rincon, 14, of Kitchener, finished 81, 87=168, placing her third.

Matching her brother and making it four wins in a row was MJT Girls U15 champion Emily Zhu,12, of Richmond Hill, who fired excellent rounds of 73, 76 (149). Coming down the stretch, Zhu said all she was thinking about was to hit well and not get a bogey. Runner-up was Jue Wen, 14, of Toronto, who shot a 82, 82 (164), and there was a tie for third place at 166 total score between Ashley Chow, 14, of North York, ON (85, 81) and JiaYin Joy Liu, 14, of Waterloo (81, 85).

All the division winners now receive direct exemptions in the MJT National Championship in Phoenix, without having to wait to qualify via the MJT Cleveland Golf Order of Merit. In addition, eighteen other prizes were awarded to Longball Long Drive, MJT Closest-to-the-Pin and Golf Town Comeback Winners in the tournament, whose names are all listed on the tournament page on the MJT website.

The next Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour stop in the province is the MJT Prodigy Series at Osprey Valley Golf Club in Alton on August 25 and 26, which is also a qualifier for the 2016 North American Junior Amateur Championship (NAJA). For more information on the Boston Pizza-presented Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour, 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 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, TuGo, Cleveland Golf, Srixon and Aquafina, in addition to valued Tournament and Product Partners. The MJT hosts more than 60 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.
 

About Freedom 55 Financial:

Freedom 55 Financial, a division of London Life Insurance Company, offers financial security advice and planning to Canadians through its 3,700 financial security advisors across Canada.  Freedom 55 Financial offers London Life’s own brand of life insurance, savings and investments, retirement income, annuities, and mortgage products to Canadians.

Twitter: Freedom 55 Financial @F55F

Facebook: Facebook.com/Freedom55Financial

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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