Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

May 27-28, 2017
Chester, NS

Margeson goes low on MJT; Newell and Chassé short-listed for Finland

Chester, NS. (May 29, 2017) – Chester Golf Club, in Chester, NS, hosted the Boston Pizza-presented Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) Atlantic Canada season opener on May 27th and 28th where a full field of players competed for titles in six divisions as well as the chance to be shortlisted for spots to the IMG Academy Junior World Championships and to the Nordic Junior Team Matches in Finland.

The division champions are featured below and the overall event highlights are posted on MJT’s  website HERE, showing details for winners of the Miura ‘Respect the Game’ Award, PLYR Long Drive, PLYR Closest-to-the-Pin and Golf Town Performance Awards, as well as those eligible members who were shortlisted for the Junior Worlds spots (Gavin Ives, Jakob Lorefice, Teran Newell, Mackenzie Deveau and Meghan McLean) and for Finland (Teran Newell and Benjamin Chassé). The final players will be announced once qualifying has completed across the country.

MJT Junior Boys 17-18: Shaun Margeson, 17, Fall River, NS, fired great rounds of 71, 73 = 144 to win Low Overall and the MJT Junior Boys division over both Teran Newell, 17, of Barrington, NS and Benjamin Chassé, 17, of Fall River, who tied for second at 146 total score. “It feels great to get the win. It was a little tough coming down the stretch, but managed to pull through,” said Margeson. “The course was in great shape, the weather was pretty good and scoring conditions were great.”

MJT Juvenile Boys 15-16:  Daniel Kirby, 14, Woodstock, NB, made the trip worth his while by winning the MJT Juvenile Boys division title by three strokes after shooting back-to-back rounds of 75 (150 total). Kirby said, “I was nervous coming in because I was playing up a division, but I feel really good that I won. I kept the ball in the fairway off the tee with my driver.”

MJT Bantam Boys 13-14: It took a playoff to determine the winner of the MJT Bantam Boys division after both Luke Baldwin, 14, of Hammonds Plains, NS (82, 80=162) and Jakob Lorefice, 13, of Antigonish, NS (84-78=162) tied for the lead. Baldwin won on the second playoff hole, and said afterwards, “It feels great coming back on the second day. I stayed focused on every shot and when I hit bad shots I did not get mad or down on myself.”

MJT Peewee Boys 12 and under: Gavin Ives, 12, of Middle Sackville, NS, shot 93,81 = 174 to defeat Blake Fish, 10, of Middle West Pubnico, NS, for the MJT Peewee Boys trophy.  “It feels really good and I think this will give me a lot of confidence for my other tournaments,” Ives stated.

MJT Girls 15-18: MJT veteran, Meghan McLean, 18, of Port Williams, NS, shot 80, 78 = 158 to beat her sister, Heather, by seven shots, to win the MJT Girls 15-18 Hoselton trophy. Meghan said it felt, “great, I worked really hard on the back nine to fight to win this title. I had a lot of fun doing it so that makes winning the title even better. The MJT has already offered me so many great opportunities. It is a great tour and it’s some welcoming. Thanks for always putting on such great events.”

MJT Girls U15: The MJT Girl U15 Hoselton trophy went to Abbey Baker, 12, of Halifax, NS (95, 97 = 192) after she defeated Mackenzie Deveau, 14, of  Moncton, NB, by three strokes. Baker said, “It feels great to win the first tournament and it was good because I had really good competition. My driver got me in trouble quite a few times, but my hybrids and woods put me right back in the fairway. I also put in a lot of putts.”

The next two Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour stops in the region are the MJT – NSGA Player of the Year Series at Ken-Wo Country Club in Wolfville, NS, on June 10th and 11th, followed by the MJT- Golf NB Player of the Year Series at Fox Creek Golf Club in Dieppe, NB, on July 22nd and 23rd. 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.