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The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA ProfessionalsPress Release
July 7-8, 2022
Kelowna, BC
Packed field in MJT Nicola Wealth Classic yields hot scores; Carswell and Ng qualify for IMG Florida Challenge
Venue and location: Okanagan Golf Club, Kelowna, BC
Tournament Date: July 7-8, 2022
Full Results: see website.
Tournament Highlights:
- The second annual MJT Nicola Wealth Classic played out on Canada’s premier junior golf tour at Okanagan Golf Club in Kelowna on July 7 and 8, where close to 90 young golfers competed in six age divisions and put up some great scores.
- Denby Carswell, 18, of Burnaby, BC, was crowned the MJT Nicola Wealth Junior Boys Champion after going low with excellent rounds of 70 and 69, finishing at five-under-par for the event. Carswell secured the low overall boys title, qualifying for the IMG Junior Worlds – Florida Challenge.
- The MJT Nicola Wealth Girls 15-19 Champion was Jessica Ng, 18, of Vancouver, BC, who fired 75-73 to claim the low overall girls title and a spot in the IMG Junior Worlds – Florida Challenge.
- In a tight race for first and second, brothers Austin (14) and Mitchell (16) Krahn from Christina Lake, BC, battled it out for the MJT Nicola Wealth Juvenile Boys crown. Austin came out on top by two strokes with strong scores of 72-70.
- Local Tierra Elchuk, 12, of Kelowna, BC, played solid golf en route to topping the podium, claiming the MJT Nicola Wealth Girls U15 trophy (80-84).
- A brilliant final round of 67 vaulted Jaden August, 13, of Pitt Meadows, BC, into a two stroke lead in the MJT Bantam Boys division (75-67) where he finished at two-under-par.
- Tyson Valk, 12, of North Vancouver, BC, won the MJT Nicola Wealth Peewee Boys title, also by two strokes, with rounds of 78,77.
- Winners of the Long Drive, Booster Juice BounceBack and Closest to the Pin awards are posted on the website.
Top Finishers
MJT U15 Girls: Okanagan GC: Par 72, Ydg 5742, Slope/Rating 130/73.0
Tierra Elchuk Kelowna, BC F 12 80, 84 164
Olivia Johnson Calgary, AB F 13 86, 87 173
Mataya Hampson Rocky View County, AB F 14 110, 102 212
Winner’s Quote: Tierra Elchuk, 12, of Kelowna, BC : “I feel really proud of myself because I’ve been struggling with my golf game. One of my highlights was making a long putt for birdie on hole eight. I take deep breaths and just take my time with my next shot when things aren’t going to plan.”
MJT 15-19 Girls: Okanagan GC: Par 72, Ydg 5742, Slope/Rating 130/73.0
Jessica Ng Vancouver, BC F 18 75, 73 148
Mya Rowan Sherwood Park, AB F 16 77, 76 153
Khushee Mangat Surrey, BC F 17 82, 77 159
Winner’s Quote: Jessica Ng, 18, of Vancouver, BC: “It feels great to win here in Okanagan again, I shot some decent rounds and it is definitely a confidence booster. My ball striking was very good, and my wedges saved me a lot. My mental game has also been pretty strong lately, I am able to brush off any mistakes or bad shots I make by just focusing.”
MJT Peewee Boys: Okanagan GC: Par 72, Ydg 5470, Slope/Rating 115/66.9
Tyson Valk North Vancouver, BC M 12 78, 77 155
Ethan Zhong Surrey, BC M 12 80, 77 157
Jayden H X Zhu Surrey, BC M 10 78, 81 159
Winner’s Quote: Tyson Valk, 12, of North Vancouver, BC: “I feel tired and proud at the same time. A highlight was being able to keep up with Ethan Zhong, and in the end, coming together to beat him. I just say to myself, “I am in the zone and I’m smart,” if things get stressful at all.”
MJT Bantam Boys: Okanagan GC: Par 72, Ydg 5742, Slope/Rating 115/66.9
Jaden August Pitt Meadows, BC M 13 75, 67 142
Joshua Laverdiere Kelowna, BC M 13 73, 71 144
Christopher Thomson Kelowna, BC M 14 75, 73 148
Winner’s Quote: Jaden August, 13, of Pitt Meadows, BC: “It feels amazing winning the division title, I just kept pulling my mind back to my process and kept focused. I made eight birdies on the second day, that was a major highlight.”
MJT Juvenile Boys: Okanagan GC: Par 72, Ydg 6481, Slope/Rating 130/70.2
Austin Krahn Christina Lake, BC M 14 72, 70 142
Mitchell Krahn Christina Lake, BC M 16 73, 71 144
Ryan Vest Vernon, BC M 15 73, 74 147
Winner’s Quote: Austin Krahn, 14, of Christina Lake, BC: “My game hasn’t felt very good this year, so it means a lot to see it all come together finally. Coming off a win a few days before and still showing that I can pull off another win under pressure is the best feeling. I always just focus on one shot at a time.”
MJT Junior Boys: Okanagan GC: Par 72, Ydg 6481, Slope/Rating 130/70.2
Denby Carswell Burnaby, BC M 18 70, 69 139
Eli Harris Kelowna, BC M 18 70, 72 142
Hayden Lazeo Abbotsford, BC M 18 72, 73 145
Winner’s Quote: Denby Carswell, 18, of Burnaby, BC: “It feels really good winning, I had a really good and fun group on day two, and it feels great coming away with the win. A highlight for me was the course conditions and all of the junior boys that came out. Staying committed to every shot was key to keeping calm and posting good scores.”
Full results, Long Drive, Booster Juice BounceBack and Closest to the Pin winners are posted on the MJT website.
Next event on the MJT Junior Tour in British Columbia is the MJT Western Championship at Copper Point GC in Invermere, on July 26-27. To see the full 2022 MJT schedule and upcoming events, please check the MJT website at www.maplejt.com.
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 100 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:
Lauren Allard, Marketing
marketing@maplejt.com