Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

June 23-24, 2018
Edmonton, AB

Over 120 juniors participate in Ford-sponsored MJT events at The Derrick

Edmonton, AB. (June 25, 2018) – The premier Derrick Golf and Winter Club in Edmonton, Alberta, hosted the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s Team Ford Go Golf! Junior Clinic for beginners and as well as the MJT Ford Series for competitive players this past weekend, where the facility treated over 120 youth to outstanding service and first-class golf over the course of the two events.

In the MJT Ford Series, over 80 golfers were competing for titles in seven different age categories, as well as the chance to qualify for the International Players Championship presented by Miura Golf in Jasper this August, or for MJT Team Canada to the Nordic Team Matches in Estonia this September.  A highlight of the tournament was a hole in one recorded on the 195 yard, fifth hole by Jarrett Bossert, 18, of Fort Saskatchewan, AB.

The overall medalist in the tournament was MJT Junior Boy, Kaiden Nicholson, 17, of Edmonton. Nicholson fired a remarkable one-under-par, 139 (72, 67) to win by eight shots over both Connor Ackroyd, 18, of St. Albert, AB (73, 74) and William Holan, 17 of Edmonton (72,75), who tied for second place. Nicholson said afterwards, “I was thinking, don’t make a big mistake (on the final hole). Then I snap hooked right, had a line to the green, made a two-putt par. It feels awesome, I’m really excited to win and I’m looking forward to hopefully more.”

Michael Harrison, 23, of Camrose, AB, took home the Hoselton trophy for MJT Collegiate Boys 19 – 23 yet again with an impressive two-day total of 146 (72, 74). This marks the third victory in a row for Harrison who plays for the University of Alberta’s Augustana Vikings. The win was cemented by “a great up and down for par on the 17th hole of the second round to stay in the lead,” said Harrison. Three shots back shooting 149 (77, 72) was Dakota Smith, 22, of Edmonton.

The fine scores continued into the MJT Juvenile Boys 15 and 16 division where the Hoselton trophy went to Evan Matty, 15, of St. Albert. After being tied for the lead following the first round, Matty distanced himself from the field with a final round 74 for a two-day total of 151, and credited his birdie on the difficult par-four 12th for saving his round which lead to his win. “It feels good to play good and win,” he said. Runner-up was Owen Lai, 15, of Edmonton, who finished at 158 for the two days (77, 81).

In another tightly contested division, Cole Bergheim, 14, of Red Deer, AB, found the winner’s circle in MJT Bantam Boys 13 and 14 for the first time in 2018 with back-to-back rounds of 74 (148). Just three shots back was Colin Pasitney, 13, of St. Paul, AB. Bergheim said, “I knew I had a decent lead (on the final hole) and knew I needed to finish with at least a bogey. It feels really good since it’s been a while since I’ve won, so this is definitely a nice win.”

Host club favourite, Tate Bruggeman, 11, of Edmonton, recorded his second win in the MJT Peewee Boys 12U division in as many tries this weekend after firing consecutive sub-80 rounds of 78 and 75 for a two-day total of 153. “It felt great, I am very proud to win at my home club,” said Bruggeman. Runner-up honours went to Jon Vinge, 12, of Calgary, AB with a two-day total of 166 (84, 82).

In the MJT Girls U15 division, Kalee Seto, 12, of Edmonton, squeaked out a one-shot victory over Belle Brezovski, 13, of St. Albert. Seto admits, “I was a bit nervous because I knew I was leading by only one stroke (on the final hole). I am very happy to win because the prizes are nice and it’s fun to win.”

Home course knowledge helped Jenna Bruggeman, 14, of Edmonton, claim the MJT Girls 15–18 division by eight strokes over Stephanie Chelack, 16, of Calgary, AB. Bruggeman commented, “The 16th hole was my best, both days I made birdie. The first day I stuck it tight and the second day I chipped in. It’s really awesome to win at my home course.”

In addition to the division champions featured above, overall event highlights are posted on the MJT website here showing winners of the PLYR Long Drive, PLYR Closest-to-the-Pin and MJT Comeback Award, as well as the current Academy Order of Merit standings.

The next two Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour stops in the province are the MJT Ford Series-PGA of Alberta Junior Championship at McKenzie Meadows Golf Club in Calgary, July 16 to 18, a qualifier for the National Team Challenge in Niagara Falls, Ontario, this September, and the MJT Alberta Rocky Mountain Classic at Wintergreen Golf Course in Bragg Creek, August 7 to 8. For more information or to register, please visit  www.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-4653.

About Ford: Ford of Canada employs over 23,000 talented individuals in the fields of finance, sales and marketing, information technology, manufacturing and engineering, and human resources. This diverse workforce is responsible for the manufacturing and assembly operations that bring 320,000 vehicles and 425,000 engines to market. At Ford we are proud to be Canada’s longest-established automaker and remain committed to building a strong future in Canada. For more information on MJT Premier Partner, Ford Canada, please see www.ford.ca.

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: Russ MacKay, Operations Manager, Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour rmackay@maplejt.com 1-877-859-GOLF  www.maplejt.com