Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

May 19-20, 2019
Banff, AB

68, 69 from Svendsen headlines solid scoring out of 118-strong MJT field in Banff

MJT Humber College PGM Classic presented by TaylorMade ran May 19 and 20

Banff, AB - (May 21, 2019) - The Boston Pizza-presented Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour continued its 2019 Alberta season on May 19 and 20 with a fantastic field size of 118 young junior golfers in the MJT Humber College PGM Classic presented by TaylorMade at the Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club in Banff. The players were competing for titles in seven divisions as well as vying for direct and shortlisted spots in major international events, namely the Optimist Qualifier in Montana, the Future Champions Golf Callaway World Championships in Palm Desert, CA, and the IMG Academy Junior World Championship in San Diego, CA.

“Given that the golf club just opened the Stanley Thompson 18 on Friday before the event, the course was in great shape,” commented MJT National Operations Director Trent Matson. “Considering the cold and windy conditions, the scores were very solid for the tournament.”

This was borne out by the scoring from 18-year old Reid Svendsen from Spruce Grove, AB, who won both the MJT Junior Boys Hoselton trophy and Low Overall with outstanding rounds of 68 and 69 (137). With a four-shot lead after the first round, Svendsen continued to push forward despite come-back attempts from many players near the top of the leaderboard. “I stuck with my game,” he said. “I didn’t let my competitors distract me, and I hit the shots that I was comfortable with.” Finishing in second in the division five shots back was 18-year old Kaiden Nicholson from Edmonton, AB, who carded great rounds of 72 and 70 (142).

Calgary, AB-resident Tommy McKenzie, 16, captured his second consecutive title in the MJT Juvenile Boys Division after firing rounds of 76 and 70 (146), earning the win by a single shot over High River, AB-resident, Bridger Atkinson (75, 72 - 147), age 16. “My favorite part of the tournament was playing with my fellow competitors,” said McKenzie. “We had some great back and forth moments and towards the end of the second round, I was able to apply some pressure and win.”

Hot scoring in the MJT Bantam Boys Division saw a tie for the lead between Jaiden Koonar, 14, of Calgary, and Cooper Humphreys, 14, of Kelowna, BC, as the players matched each other with two-day totals of 139. Koonar’s 69 on day two secured him the Hoselton trophy via MJT Tie-Breaker.  “I really feel special about this win because I never gave up,” he commented. “I had a rough start with my putter, but kept going and eventually, the putts fell when I needed them most.”

An intense contest took place among the MJT Peewee Boys between 12-year old Tate Bruggeman, of Edmonton (72-76=148), 12-year old Brett Jones, of Calgary (74-75=149), and 12-year old Charlie Gillespie, also of Calgary (76-74=150). With a 72 in the first round, Bruggeman bent, but managed to hold onto the lead with a second round of 76 and a two-day total of 148. “I had confidence going into the tournament because of all the work I had put into my game,” he commented. “In the end, it paid off.”

Natasha Kozlowski, 17, of Prince George, BC, won Low Overall Girls score for the tournament, and the MJT Girls 15-18 title, her second MJT title in as many starts going back to April 27 and 28 where she won the MJT Ford Series in Chilliwack, BC. Attributing victory to consistency, Kozlowski said, “I had built up a lot of momentum from day one because I was hitting all the fairways and most of the greens.” Finishing second in the division was Osoyoos, BC-player, Alexandrea Brunner, 16, who shot rounds of 84 and 81 (165).

In the MJT Girls U15 Division, Vanessa Zhang, 12, of Vancouver, BC, won by a convincing 11 shots over Georgia Barr, 14, of Calgary. Zhang and Barr tied with scores of 76 after the first round, however, Barr struggled in her second round shooting 87 for a two-day total of 163. It was the consistency of Zhang who posted another 76 for a two-day total of 152 that won her the title. An experienced player at just 12 years old, Zhang commented, “The MJT is the most welcoming tour I’ve played on and I look forward to all of their events.”

Dakota Smith, 23, of Edmonton, captured the MJT Collegiate Division title with steady scores of 74 and 73 (147). “Despite how cold it was, I’m happy I got to play at the Fairmont Banff Springs,” remarked Smith. “I played well on the first day and that gave me momentum for the second round.” Finishing three shots behind was St. Albert, AB-native, Connor Ackroyd who carded rounds of 79 and 72 (151).

For PLYR Long Drive, PLYR Closest-to-the-Pin and the MJT Booster Juice Comeback Award winners, please visit the highlights page for the tournament here. Winners of the international exemptions will be announced once qualifying has completed across the country.

 The next Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour stop in Alberta is at River Bend Golf Course in Red Deer from June 8 to 9, which features more major qualifiers including the Nordic Team Matches in Sweden. For more information or to register, please visit www.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-4653.

About Humber College PGM Program: Humber College’s Business Administration - Professional Golf Management program is a Recognized PGA of Canada program. Gain a business education, develop your golf game, and embark on a career you will love. Gain valuable experience and earn income during our two 6-month paid co-op terms. Our on-campus Golf Lab is a world-class golf performance training facility run by PGA Professionals. Our Golf Lab is equipped with three Simulator Rooms, a Golf Retail Shop, Golf Club Workshop, and 2000 square feet of putting surface. Our students have the opportunity to play on the Humber Hawks varsity golf team, the most decorated golf team in Canada. For more information please visit our website at business.humber.ca/golf.

About TaylorMade Golf: Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, TaylorMade Golf is a leading manufacturer of high performance golf equipment with industry leading innovative products like M5/M6 metalwoods, M5/M6 irons and TP5/TP5X golf balls. TaylorMade is the #1 Driver in Golf and also a major force on the PGA TOUR with one of the strongest athlete portfolios in golf, which includes Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Jon Rahm, Rickie Fowler and Tiger Woods.  Click here for the website.

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 7-12 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. See www.maplejt.com.