Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

May 27-28, 2017
Petersburg, ON

Ayora wins playoff for MJT Junior Boys title at Rebel Creek; several qualify for US Kids Teen World Championships

Petersburg, ON (May 29, 2017) – The conditions were good for scoring at Rebel Creek Golf Course in Petersburg, ON, this past weekend, where juniors were competing for titles in six age divisions on Canada’s number-one played Junior Golf Tour, as well as direct exemptions into the US Kids Teen World Championship at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina from July 26th to 29th, 2017.

The winners of the direct exemptions were Michael Weber, Matthew Peesker, Xavier Ayora, Rachel Demaine, Alexis McMurray, Ashley Chow, Ryan Zhao, Kevin Lee and Nicole Gal, whose details are all posted on the MJT website HERE together with the winners of the Miura ‘Respect the Game’ Award, PLYR Long Drive, PLYR Closest-to-the-Pin and Golf Town Performance Awards.  

Regarding the six division champions, in MJT Junior Boys 17-18, Xavier Ayora, 17, of Kitchener, ON, fired 75, 76=151 to tie for the lead with Michael Desautels, 17 of Oakville, ON (73-78=151), forcing a playoff in which Ayora triumphed on the second hole.  “I feel really good about this win. I’ve been playing MJT for a couple of years now and to finally get my first win feels great,” Ayora said. “I play MJT because there’s usually pretty good fields and the tournaments are usually close to where I live, also, it’s the most-played tour in Canada.”

In MJT Juvenile Boys 15-16, Satshia Tep-Chhun, 16, of St. Thomas, ON, carded 74, 79 = 153 to win the Hoselton trophy by four strokes. “The course was in really good condition after bad weather in the last couple of days,” he said afterwards. “It felt great (to win) – I haven’t won a tournament since grade nine.”

MJT Bantam Boys 13-14 division winner was Matthew Peesker, 13, of Toronto, ON, who shot 72, 79 = 151 for a five-stroke victory, and said, “My tee shots put me in good position to attack the greens. I am excited to win, but the highlight was shooting 72 in the first round, and that gives me great confidence for the future.”

Outstanding scores of 70-73 (143) from MJT Peewee Boys division winner, Kevin Lee, 12, of Markham, ON, edged Owen Kim, 12, of Oakville by one for the Hoselton trophy. “The best part of my game was the short-game, mostly, and approach shots,” said Lee, who cited the two days of competition on the MJT as his reason to play the events. “It’s more practice with more challenges as well, and MJT also has good prizes.”

Playing up a division was the MJT Girls 15-18 division winner, 14-year-old Ashley Chow, of North York, ON, who shot 79, 79 = 158 to win by six strokes. “I felt so proud because there were a lot of great players in this division, and I knew I had to play my best to beat them. The best thing about my game was my approach shots, I was able to hit 11 greens, and the majority within 15 feet,” she said.

And the final division winner was Alexis McMurray, 13, of Oakville, ON, after she scored 81,78 = 159 to win the MJT Girls U15 Hoselton trophy by five strokes.  McMurray said, “I feel very proud of myself and just amazing, winning my division title. I loved this course, there were some tough holes where I enjoyed the challenge. The course was a little wet, but overall the conditions were great.”

The month of June will see three multi-day stops in Ontario on the Boston Pizza-presented Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour: June 10 and 11 at Craigowan Oxford Golf Club in Woodstock; June 17 and 18 at Osprey Valley Golf Club in Caledon; and June 24 and 25 at Galt Country Club in Cambridge.  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: Chris Hood, Manager of Marketing & Administration, Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour chood@maplejt.com 1-877-859-GOLF  www.maplejt.com.