Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

April 13-14, 2019
Surrey, BC

Over 140 young golfers participate in MJT Ford events at Morgan Creek despite tough conditions

Surrey, BC – (April 15, 2019) – It was great for the future of the game to see over 140 young athletes at Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey, BC, over the Masters weekend, participating in either the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour's MJT Ford Series Tournament or the Dams Ford Go Golf! Junior Clinic despite cold, gusty winds and bursts of showers both days.

The Dams Ford clinic offered a free introduction to golf for boys and girls ages 6 to 12, while the tournament had a wait-listed field of 91 golfers competing for titles in seven divisions as well as for major qualifying spots into the IMG Academy Junior World Championships in San Diego, CA, July 8 to 12, the 11th annual FCG Callaway World Championship in Palm Desert, CA, July 15 to 17, and for Team BC in the Junior Americas Cup to be hosted by Blackhawk Golf Club in Edmonton, AB, this July. There was also the chance to win a new Ford EcoSport with a hole-in-one and several came close!

We start with the MJT Juvenile Boys Division where Vancouver’s 16-year-old Song Bai, of Marine Drive Golf Club, needed two extra holes to complete the comeback over 15 year old Bailey Bjornson of Surrey, BC, to claim the Hoselton Trophy. After hooking his tee shot on the final hole of his round, Bai grinded to save a double-bogey and force a playoff where all he needed was par on the second playoff hole to claim victory. “I am very happy to win my first MJT tournament and to do it in a playoff made it even more exciting,” he said after walking off the golf course triumphant.

The MJT Junior Boys Division came down to an intense battle right to the finish between Victoria natives Michael Wu, 17, and Jackson Rothwell, 17. With an eagle and two birdies in his final nine holes, Wu emerged on top edging Rothwell by a single shot. Wu appreciated the strong-play and intensity provided by his competitors in the final group claiming, “it allowed me to stay focused and play clutch golf.” In addition to claiming the trophy in his division, Wu received the exemption to play on Team BC in the 2019 Junior Americas Cup.  

Justin Bjornson, 13, of Surrey, BC, claimed the Hoselton Trophy by two strokes in the MJT Bantam Boys Division. After struggling with the conditions in his first round, Bjornson climbed up four places on the leaderboard with a second round of 75. Bjornson commented after the round, “The rain and wind made the golf course very tough on the first day. It felt good to bounce back and win and the pizza also hit the spot!”

Jay Xu, 12, of Burnaby, BC, had a convincing seven-shot win in the MJT Peewee Boys Division. Attributing his stellar performance to his putting, Xu remarked, “I made two long putts both days on Hole 11 for birdie.” Xu made an impressive eight birdies throughout the tournament with five of them coming on his final nine holes in round two.

Winning the MJT Girls U15 Hoselton Trophy was 12-year-old Martina Yu of Coquitlam, BC. “It feels great to win,” affirmed Yu, who won her MJT division title for the first time. “It gives me a lot of confidence moving forward and I just love playing the MJT events.” Yu carded rounds of 72 and 75 that included six birdies in her first round under the grueling weather conditions.

Surrey native, Lauren Kim, 13, who plays up a division, conquered an emulous field of 31 junior girls to claim the Low Overall Girls score with a two-day total of 146. Making a charge on day two to place second was Vancouver golfer Tiffany Kong, who fired a four under par 69, crawling back from being down seven strokes to ending up just two back. Embracing Kong after a riveting battle, Kim commented, “I feel really proud of myself for beating players older than I am.”

The event’s Collegiate division was won by Richmond native Fritz Lo who shot rounds of 82 and 81. “My favorite hole was number five,” remarked Lo, who made birdie there in both rounds. “I like to thank MJT for organizing a great tournament. It felt pretty good to win under those conditions.”

For PLYR Long Drive, PLYR Closest-to-the-Pin and the MJT Comeback Award winners, please visit the highlights page for the tournament. Receiving direct exemptions into the FCG Callaway World Championship are Jay Xu, Justin Bjornson, Bailey Bjornson, Michael Wu, Elise Liu, Lauren Kim, Emma Yang and Tiffany Kong. Short-listed for the IMG Academy Junior World Championship are Jay Xu (11-12), Justin Bjornson (13-14), Michael Wu (15-17), Elise Liu (11-12), Martina Yu (13-14), and Lauren Kim (15-17). The Junior America’s Cup spot went to Michael Wu.

The next Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour stop in BC is the MJT Ford Series at Chilliwack Golf and Country Club in Chilliwack on April 27 and 28, 2019. 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. 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 close to 80 events across Canada, including free Ford Go Golf Junior Clinics, the MJT Mini Tour for 7 to 12 year olds, the Collegiate Tour for 19 to 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, see www.maplejt.com.