Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

July 24-25, 2017
Dewinton, AB

Horton goes two under at Heritage Pointe for second MJT win

DeWinton, AB - (July 26, 2017) – On July 24 and 25, Canada’s number-one played Junior Golf Tour's players were treated to a two-day stop at Heritage Pointe Golf and Country Club in DeWinton, AB, a former venue for the Mackenzie Tour Canada's Calgary Telus Open, where Ryley Sarris, 16, of Edmonton, AB, was all the buzz as he made a double eagle on the Desert's fourth hole on the first day, and followed it up on the fifth hole with a birdie. 

Sarris ended up tied for third in the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s (MJT) Juvenile Boys division with scores of 76-84 (160). Players were competing for titles in six divisions as well as for the chance to qualify for the International Players Championship presented by Miura Golf at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course in Jasper, AB, August 14-16, and the Low Overall title went to MJT veteran and Heritage Pointe member, Chris Horton, 18, of Calgary, AB, who was using this tournament as preparation for the Canadian Junior Championship next week. 

Horton, coming off a victory in the MJT Alberta Series at Cottonwood Golf and Country Club in Calgary earlier this month, fired rounds of 70-72 (-2) for his second MJT Junior Boys 17-18 title and finished as the only player below par after two tough, wind-swept days.   “The conditions were unreal, the greens were smooth and rolling at like 9 to 10 stimp so it was a good speed to get aggressive inside 15 feet," said Horton.  Runner-up in the division, four strokes back, was Jarrett Bossert, 17, of Fort Saskatchewan, AB (74-72=146).

In the MJT Juvenile Boys 15-16 division, Elias Theodosopoulos, 16, of Calgary, came from behind to shoot 82-74 (156) in the challenging conditions to claim his first victory on the MJT.  Theodosolpoulos thought that his key to victory was, "to stay patient and hit the shots I know how to play, not risking anything and playing the safe shot all day."  Runner-Up in the Juvenile division was Aaron Yuke, 16, of Calgary who finished three shot back at 159 (76-83).

14-year old Tommy McKenzie of Calgary played great golf both days to claim the MJT Bantam Boys 13-14 title with solid rounds of 73-78 (151).  It was McKenzie's first win on the MJT, and he credited his new putter from Miura Golf,  a Respect The Game Award on the MJT.  "I putted a lot better.  I have been working on my putting for a while now and had a few more drop and a few less three putts," said McKenzie.

In the MJT Peewee Boys U12 division, multiple winner, Jaiden Koonar, 12, of Calgary, posted 78-81 (159) on the tough Heritage Pointe layout for his third victory of the season.  Koonar bested the field by 10 shots over the two days, describing his week as "really good, I had a lot of fun and my playing competitors were really fun to play with."  Second in the division was Bradin Stahl, 12, of Priddis (85-84=169) followed by Zachary Haydamack, 12, of Cochrane, AB, who finished one back at 84-86 (170).

In the MJT Girls 15-18 division, 16-year old Abigail Hartzler of Carstairs, AB, ended up finishing the tournament with scores of 86-98 (184) and won the title.

And finally, in the new MJT Collegiate Men’s division, Michael Harrison, 22, of Camrose, AB, posted rock solid scores of 74-71 (145) to cruise to a six-shot margin of victory over Dakota Smith, 19, of Edmonton, who carded 77-74 (151). "Today was good, a little windy and tougher conditions, but I kept hitting is solid and made a few birdies on the back nine so I was able to come away with the win," stated Harrison.

Full results and overall event highlights are posted on the MJT website, showing winners of the Miura ‘Respect the Game’ Award, PLYR Long Drive, PLYR Closest-to-the-Pin and Golf Town Performance Awards.

The next stop for the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour in Alberta is the MJT Prodigy Series at Wintergreen Golf Club in Bragg Creek, August 8 and 9. For more information or to register, 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 presented nationally by Boston Pizza and supported by valued Premier, 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, the Collegiate Tour for 19-23 year olds, and multi-day events for competitive players aged 11 to 18 which are also qualifiers 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. For more information on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour, please visit www.maplejt.com

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