Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

August 26-27, 2017
Waterloo, ON

12-year-old Long impresses at MJT’s Grey Silo event

Waterloo, ON – (August 28, 2017) – Playing up a division, Beni Long, 12, of Toronto, ON, fired rounds of 70, 73 (143) from the 6,081 yard tees at Grey Silo Golf Club in Waterloo, ON, to win the MJT Bantam Boys 13-14 title in the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s event on August 26 and 27.

Long managed to hold off Graem Costigan, 14, of Cambridge, ON (69, 77=146) for the win. “My highlight was when I birdied holes 16 and 17 on day two,” said Long. “Graem was beating me by four on hole 12, but I stayed calm and never gave up. It feels good (to win).”

Low score from 6532 yards went to Xavier Ayora, 17, of Kitchener, ON, who fired 74, 76 (150) to edge a one stroke victory over Luke DeCorso, 18, of Guelph, ON    (80, 71=151) and take the MJT Junior Boys 17-18 title. Ayora commented, “I almost got a hole in one on 18. My mental game was strong which allowed me to shoot a decent score.”           

Sean Tippin, 16, of Waterloo, ON, won the MJT Juvenile Boys 15-16 title after shooting 77, 79 (156), edging Stirling Moss, 15, of Mississauga, ON (77, 80=157). Tippin said, “The key to my victory was all the up and downs throughout both days. The highlight was chipping in the second day after struggling, and saving bogey after flaring a tee shot in the hazard. I finally closed a tournament off, I feel pretty relieved.”               

The MJT Girls 15-18 title was won by Taylor Kehoe, 13, of Strathroy, ON, who plays up a division. Kehoe, who shot 71, 77 (148) to just hold off Hailey Katona, 15, of Tilbury, ON (75, 74=149), stated, “All my competitors are great players and anything could have happened! I enjoyed hitting the par five (17) in two shots and making birdie, and enjoyed my playing partners.”

Alexis McMurray, 14, of Oakville, ON, claimed the MJT Girls U15 title (74, 81=155) after shooting her personal best (74) the first day. “That gave me a positive mindset heading into day two,” she said. “I feel like I’ve been working very hard on my game and trusting the process and it’s paid off.”      Ella Weber, 12, of Burlington, ON, was runner-up in this division (79, 84=163).

In MJT Peewee Boys 12U, Rhys Constable, 11, of Townsend, ON, shot 85, 90 (175) to win the title over Tobias Hofer, 12, of Kitchener, ON  (91, 91=182). “My competitor played well both days,” Constable stated. “I stayed focused each round and it feels awesome (to win).”  

And finally, in the new MJT Collegiate Men 19-23 division, Riley Conners, 20, of Listowel, ON, shot 82, 80 (162) to claim the title over Jack Healey, 22, of Brockville, ON (88, 90=178). “I almost made an ace on hole 8,” Conners said afterwards. “I was more aggressive on Sunday and feel pretty good (about the win).”        

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

The final Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour event in Ontario is the International Team Challenge (ITC) presented by Freedom 55 Financial at Royal Niagara Golf Course in Niagara Falls, September 22 to 24. Following that is the MJT Boston Pizza National Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas at Reunion Resort, Orlando, FLA, November 10 to 12.  For more information on these invitationals, please visit www.maplejt.com.

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.