Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

June 2-3, 2018
Carman, MB

Soni Low Overall, Harder wins playoff at MJT’s Carman stop

Carman, MB. (June 4, 2018) – The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s Manitoba circuit continued this weekend at Carman Golf Club, in Carman, where division titles in seven different age categories were up for grabs as well as MJT Order of Merit points to qualify juniors for the MJT National Championship in Phoenix, AZ, this November. This event was also a shortlist qualifier for the US Kids Golf World Championship and the Future Champions Golf World Championships. Finalists will be announced once qualifying finishes across the country.

In addition to the individual division champions featured below, overall tournament highlights are posted on the MJT website here which show winner details for the PLYR Long Drive, PLYR Closest-to-the-Pin and MJT Comeback Awards. 

MJT Juvenile Boys 15-16:  Neel Soni, 15, of Winnipeg, MB, posted consecutive 74’s en route to a two-day total of 148, low overall from 5969 yards in the tournament, winning the MJT Juvenile Boys Hoselton trophy. Soni was spot on with his wedge play in the second round after holing out for eagle on the par-four 7th hole, saying, “I hit a great drive in front of the green and chipped in for eagle! It feels great to win – there was some well-played golf from the other boys in my group.” Second place went to Lachlan Allerton, 16, also of Winnipeg, who fired a very respectable 154 over two days.

MJT Junior Boys 17-18: It took extra holes to settle the MJT Junior Boys division. Colton Harder, 17, of Altona, MB, and Owen Gillespie, 17, of Portage La Prairie, MB, went into a playoff with Harden coming away victorious. Harder, who was down by one going into 18 said his thought was he ‘needed a birdie to force a playoff, and ended up only needing par,’ after Gillespie had bogied the 36th hole, resulting in the playoff.

MJT Bantam Boys 13-14: Tied after 18 holes at 76 in the MJT Bantam Boys division, Braxton Kuntz and Noah Fiks, both 14 of Winnipeg, MB, battled back and forth in the second round with Kuntz finishing par-birdie to secure a two-shot win with a total of 148. When asked what his best hole of the tournament was, Kuntz responded, ‘number 18, because it was the only hole I birdied!’  Fiks was trying to secure his second win of the season on the MJT after he won a Saskatchewan event in May in Estevan.

MJT Peewee Boys 10-12: In the MJT Peewee Boys division, Grady Chuback, 12, of Headingley, MB, erased a five-shot deficit firing back-to-back 84s for a two-day total of 168, securing his first victory on the MJT. He credits his birdie on the par-3 16th hole of the second round as his best hole of the tournament after knocking it on and making the 30 foot putt, and said, “I am very happy that I won – this is my first MJT trophy.” In second place was Spence Mott, 11, of Brandon, MB who had the low round for the Peewee division (76) in the first round.

MJT Collegiate 19-23: The Collegiate division saw a close contest between Nicholas Glesby, 19, and Nathan Powell, 20, both of Winnipeg, MB. Glesby edged out Powell by a single shot with a two-day total of 168 (83, 85).

MJT 15-18 Girls: Mikyla Albert, 16, of Selkirk, MB, cruised to victory with a two-day total of 169 (82, 87). Albert is looking forward to playing college golf after high school, saying her victory this weekend is ‘just another step closer to going to college.’ Runner-up in the 15-18 Girls division was Hayley Shanks, 16, of Brandon, MB who’s two-day total was 186 (92, 94).

MJT U15 Girls: Young 10-year-old Jeri-Ann Lafleche, of Winnipeg, MB, played her very first tournament ever, and said she really liked the 7th hole at Carman Golf Club, saying, “my best hole of the tournament was number 7 because I chipped in for par.” She said she is looking forward to playing more tournaments this season and hopes to meet a lot of new friends.

The next Boston Pizza-presented Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour stop in the province is the MJT Manitoba Spring Series at Bel Acres Golf and Country Club in Winnipeg, June 27 and 28, a major qualifier for MJT Team Canada contingents to Estonia and Australia, as well as for direct spots into the International Players Championship presented by Miura in Jasper, AB, this August. For more information please visit  www.maplejt.com or call 1-604-943-1645.

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