Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

July 27-28, 2021
Invermere, BC

Spectacular Copper Point hosts successful MJT Western Championship presented by Junior Golf Hub

Invermere, BC – (July 29, 2021) – Raving reviews of the facility were received from participants and parents after Canada’s number one-played Junior Tour held the MJT Western Championship presented by Junior Golf Hub at Copper Point Golf Club in Invermere, BC, on July 27 and 28. There were birdies galore, a hole-in-one, and a playoff amongst the 100 junior golfers from BC and Alberta, who were treated exceptionally well by the Copper Point staff while competing on the immaculate course for titles in six divisions and rankings on the MJT Order of Merit presented by RBC.

In the MJT Juvenile Boys Division, 14-year-old Tate Bruggeman, of Edmonton, AB, carded a brilliant pair of 68s (136), making nine birdies along the way to winning Low Overall and his first 2021 MJT title. “My putting was most responsible for the win,” commented Bruggeman. “I felt confident going into the tournament as I thought my game was coming around and I’m happy I got the win.” Bruggeman fended off two great performances from 16-year-old Caleb Davies (71-68), of Langley, BC, and 15-year-old Connor Czirjak (67-72) of Calgary, AB, who finished tied for second place with excellent two-day total scores of 139.

Current 2021 MJT Order of Merit presented by RBC leader Sydney Bisgrove, fired 68 and 72 (140) to take home the title in the MJT Girls 15-19 Division. The 15-year-old golfer from Calgary, AB, has evolved her game to new levels on the MJT, recording her best two-day MJT score this season. “My game felt very strong coming into this tournament and it feels great for the work to pay off,” commented Bisgrove. “My approach shots were great and I was able to leave myself some short putts for birdie.” Calgary, AB, resident Tessa Ion, 14, shot 78 and 69 (147) to come back strongly and finish in second place.

Completing his swing through the BC interior and picking up a win at Copper Point in the MJT Junior Boys Division was 17-year-old Christian Hansen. The Okotoks, AB, player competed in the recent MJT Kamloops and Kelowna events, finishing in the top five at both. Moving his way east to Invermere and to the top of the podium with a pair of 71s (142), Hansen took home the division title. “I felt pretty solid with my game overall,” commented Hansen. “My irons and wedges were responsible for getting the win.” Tied for the runner-up position just one stroke back were Jonace Johnson, 19, (72-71) of Cranbrook, BC, and Ronan Steel, 17, (69-74), of Canmore, AB.  The MJT Junior Boys Division was also highlighted by a hole-in-one made on the 17th hole on the first day by 19-year-old Aimery Barrault, of Whitehorse, YT.

Picking up his second consecutive MJT title in the Bantam Boys Division was 14-year-old Austin Krahn, of Christina Lake, BC. Krahn had a great start to this competition and held on for a one-shot victory with scores of 71 and 73 (144). “It feels really good to win, especially back-to-back,” commented Krahn, who is having a personal best season on the MJT. “This was the first time I had ever led after the first round and I was really happy to come out with the win.” Peter Hlushak, 13, of Spruce Grove, AB, made a late charge on the second day with a brilliant final round of 67 to finish second (78- 67=145).

Also holding out for a one-shot win and capping a successful MJT trip through BC was 12-year-old Jim Zhu, of Vancouver, BC. Zhu, who won at Rivershore Golf Links and finished runner-up at Okanagan Golf Club, grabbed another victory here at the MJT Western Championship presented by Junior Golf Hub at Copper Point after carding 77-78 (155). “I feel great to get the win and the players were all very nice,” commented Zhu. “My iron shots were great and I made no mistakes with them.” Calgary, AB, resident Ryan Johnson, 12, finished runner-up one stroke back with scores of 77 and 79 (156).

Extra holes were needed to determine a winner in the MJT Girls U15 Division between 14-year-old Jordan Harvey (80-88), and 12-year-old Olivia Johnson (82-86), both from Calgary, after they tied at the top with a total score of 168. Emerging victorious from the playoff was Harvey, who earned her first MJT win in her first full season on the Tour. “I was fairly nervous going into the tournament,” said Harvey. “I feel really excited to get the win and I overcame some challenging greens with my putting.”

The MJT Booster Juice BounceBack award winners for most improved score in round two over round one were Cassandra Odgen, Chase Strang, Bradley Loewen, Luke Schek and Daniel Thomas. 

The MJT Alberta Junior Tour next heads to Turner Valley for the MJT G&G Prodigy Series at Turner Valley Golf Club on August 3 and 4 , while the MJT BC Junior Tour heads to Chilliwack for the three-day MJT Odlum Brown Classic at Chilliwack Golf and Country Club, August 3, 4 and 5. More details can be found online at www.maplejt.com.

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About Junior Golf Hub: Junior Golf Hub, the newest MJT Member Benefit, was founded to help players assess their game and strengthen their college recruiting process. Junior Golf Hub assists players in finding college programs that fit their goals, while assisting college coaches in finding recruits that fit their program. Junior Golf Hub also guides players and parents in finding scholarship opportunities through the admission process.

About the MJT: The non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour 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 supported by valued Premier, Tournament and Product Partners. The MJT hosts close to 90 events across Canada, including free Ford Go Golf Junior Clinics, the MJT Mini Tour for 12U and multi-day events for competitive players aged 11-19 which also offer qualifiers for international tournaments. The program has annual awards, scholarships and incentives to help reward 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 the provincial, national, university and professional levels.

Media Contact:  Sadiq Jiwa, MJT Marketing and Communications Manager, sjiwa@maplejt.com