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Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA Professionals

Press Release

June 16-17, 2018
North Battleford, SK

Seven winners at MJT’s Ilta Grain Series stop in North Battleford

North Battleford, SK. - (June 18, 2018) – The North Battleford Golf and Country Club in North Battleford, SK, hosted the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s MJT Golf Saskatchewan Order of Merit (OOM) Series presented by Ilta Grain this past weekend, where young golfers competed in seven age divisions as well as for the chance to be shortlisted for MJT Team Canada to either the Nordic Team Matches in Estonia or to the JNJG International Junior Classic in Australia. Finalists will be announced once qualifying completes across the country.

Division champions are featured below, and overall event highlights are posted on the MJT website here, showing results for the PLYR Long Drive, PLYR Closest-to-the-Pin, MJT Comeback Award and more.

MJT Peewee Boys 10-12:  Top finisher in the MJT Peewee Boys division was 12 year-old Darien Herlick of Weyburn, SK. Herlick was impressive in the first round shooting a seven over-par 79 and finishing the tournament at 171, good enough for a six shot lead over Dane Giesbrecht, 10, of Warman, SK. Herlick said afterwards, “Number two was my best hole because I had birdie, almost eagle, and not a lot of people made birdie on that hole.” He added, “I wanted to feel what it was like to win or play good with others around the province.”

MJT Bantam Boys 13-14: Will Blake, 14, of Regina, SK made it two MJT wins in a row in the Bantam Boys division, posting a two-day total of 155 (80, 75). Blake finished three under par in his last three holes to win by one shot over Brett Leonard, 13, of Corman Park, SK (82, 74). “I knew Brett was one up on me (on 18) so I knew I had to make birdie at least. I was lucky enough to hit it tight and make an eagle. It feels very good to win back-to-back events. I have to give credit to Brett, Alex (Swinnerton, of Saskatoon, 80-77) and Cort (Tunall, of Kindersley, who finished with three straight birdies, 82-77) as they all played very good and put lots of pressure on me.”

MJT Juvenile Boys 15-16: Local Colby Friedrich, 16, of Battleford, SK, made the most of his opportunities by capturing the MJT Juvenile Boy’s Hoselton trophy with a two-day total of 161 (80,81). First round leader Chase Gedak, 16, of Estevan, SK, finished five-shots back at 166 (79, 87). “It feels good to win again, especially at my home course. I’ve been struggling to win so the break through is nice,” said Friedrich.

MJT Junior Boys 17-18: Griffin Wilson, 17, of Swift Current, SK, a member of the Jeff Chambers Golf Academy, picked up his third MJT win in four events with a two-day total of 158 (80, 78). “I was one back so was just trying to hit a good drive and make birdie to give myself a chance,” said Wilson, regarding his 18th hole thoughts. “I didn’t play the way I wanted to but grinded it out on the final day and won.” Runner-up honours went to Parker Noln-Ens, 18, of Warman, SK with a two-day total of 160 (78, 82).

MJT Collegiate 19-23: Dakota Smith, 22, of Edmonton, AB, who is going into his Sophomore year at MacEwan University, came out to shoot Low Overall in the tournament from the gold tees with two-day total of 157 (78, 79) in the MJT Collegiate division. “My thoughts on the 18th hole were to make a par and come out with the overall win,” he said. “I’ve been playing the MJT since I was 11 years old so when the collegiate category became available, I hopped all over it.”

MJT Girls 15-18: Carey McLean, 16, of Deer Valley, SK, shot 91, 87 (178) to win the MJT 15-18 Girls division title by nine shots over Sarah Grieve, 15, of Saskatoon, SK. McLean credits her play on the par-three’s this weekend as the key to her victory in her first tournament of 2018, saying, “The par three’s were the best holes for me because my accuracy was on point. It feels great to win my first tournament of the season.”

MJT Girls U15: 13-year-old Brooklyn Fry, of Shell Lake, SK, fired 87-85 in the MJT U15 Girls division to win the Hoselton trophy with her consistency, recording similar scores on each nine both days. Ella Kozak, 12, of Yorkton, SK, was 11 shots back in second place at 183 (95, 88).

The next Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour stop in Saskatchewan is the MJT Golf Saskatchewan OOM Series presented by Ilta Grain at Moon Lake Golf and Country Club in Saskatoon, June 30 and July 1, where exemptions into the MJT International Players Championship presented by Miura Golf in Jasper, Alberta, are on the line. For more information please visit www.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-4653.

About Ilta Grain: Ilta Grain is a leading exporter of quality grains throughout the world, specializing in pulses (lentils, peas, beans and chickpeas), grains/oilseeds and other special crops. Ilta Grain has extensive experience in procuring and trading various grains, and their experienced team understands global trade and logistics. They proudly support North American farmers – all of their products are grown in Western Canada. With six locations in Saskatchewan - Swift Current, Cutknife, North Battleford (two plants), Saskatoon and Belle Plaine (under construction), Ilta Grain handles all types and varieties of pulses and oilseeds. See www.iltagrain.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: Russ MacKay, MJT rmackay@maplejt.com