Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

July 9, 2018
Vancouver, BC

Playoff Determines Winner of Two Mini-Tour Divisions at Musqueam

Vancouver, BC – (July 10, 2018) – Rain fell lightly during the Boston Pizza presented MJT’s Mini-Tour stop, supported by Golf Town, at the Musqueam Golf & Learning Centre, however that did not damper the competition on the course. Each of the six division champions won by only single digits and extra holes were needed for both the Girls and Boys 11 and 12 year-old age groups.  

The division champions listed below earned direct exemptions to compete in the 2018 US Kids British Championship to be held at The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport South Wales, United Kingdom on August 9 and 10. The champions also earned exemptions into the 2018 MJT Mini-Tour National Championship to be held August 23 and 24 at Tsawwassen Springs in Tsawwassen, BC.

MJT Boys 8U: It was a classic Tiger showdown in the Boys 8U division on Monday at Musqueam. Seven year-olds Tiger Zhao, of Vancouver, BC and Tiger Xie, of Surrey, BC battled hard all the way to the last hole. Zhao was able to hold off Xie’s final push for a two-shot victory, posting 74 to Xie’s 76.

MJT Boys 9-10: Harvey Liu, 10, of Surrey, BC, fired the low round of the tournament on his way to a victory in the MJT Boys 9-10 division. His 18 hole total of 64 was only one shot better than runner-up Michael Li, 10, of Vancouver, BC and two-shots clear of third place Lucas Ly, 10, of Langley, BC. “I was excited and nervous,” said Liu on how he felt coming up the 18th hole. “I thought I had a chance to win, but I also knew I could lose it on this hole. So I tried my best to stay focused,” he continued.

MJT Boys 11-12: It took extra holes and some great shot making by both players  to settle the Boys 11 and 12 year old division. In the end, Will Lockwood, 12, of Vernon, BC out-dueled Charlie Derrheim, 12, of Delta, BC on the third playoff hole with a near hole-in-one. The boys totaled 66 on the day and two more competitors were right behind them at 67. When asked about his victory today Lockwood said “I feel very proud of my accomplishment today because I didn’t have my best stuff. But when it came to making the right shot at the right time, I was able to clutch-up and get it done.”

MJT Girls 8U: Kathleen Dunn, 7, of Surrey, BC, was able to add another win to her resume by capturing the MJT Girls 8U division title. Dunn put together a very solid round of golf which included a bogey, five, on the very difficult 11th hole, which the field averaged over six. “My best hole of the day was the 11th hole, a 303 yard par four with a large water hazard 30 yards from the green. I got it over the hazard and on the green in three shots and made a five. It was awesome!” said Dunn. Only four shots behind Dunn at 85 was Wenyi Xia, 8, of White Rock, BC.

MJT Girls 9-10: Margaret Liu, 10, of Vancouver, BC took home medalist honours in the Girls 9 and 10 division shooting 81, good enough for a six shot victory over Stella Liu, 10, of Surrey, BC. Liu’s win proved to be the largest margin of victory of the day in any age division. “I feel very happy about my victory today it had encouraged me to keep trying to improve my game” said Liu.

MJT Girls 11-12: In the second playoff of the day, June Hsaio, 11, of Coquitlam, BC and Ye Ji Kwon, 12, of Port Coquitlam squared off to determine the champion of the Girls 11 and 12 year old division. Not knowing where each other stood with only the 18th hole left to play, Hsaio stood on the tee and thought “this hole looks a little tricky to play, but I’m just going to try my best to make a par.” Par is exactly what she made and was able to force a playoff. Hsaio made another par on the first playoff hole to seal the victory.

For full results and pictures, please visit the MJT website, which also shows winners of the PLYR Closest-to-the-Pin competitions. Players who successfully qualified for the US Kids British Championship will be contacted as soon as possible.

The next MJT Mini-Tour stop in British Columbia is July 29 at Cultus Lake Golf Club in Cultus Lake. This event has qualifying spots available for the US Kids Golf Australian Open that will be held at Riverside Oaks Golf Resort in Sydney on January 19 & 20, 2019. Participants in the Mini-Tour stop will also earn points towards the season long Order of Merit race, and division winners will be invited to the 2018 MJT Mini-Tour National Championship to be held at Tsawwassen Springs in Tsawwassen, BC, August 23 and 24. For more information, please see 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 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.