June 26, 2022
Olds, AB
Over 90 youth take part in MJT Ford Series Clinic and Mini Tour stop in Olds; Tong shoots even par to qualify for MJT Nationals
Venue and location: Olds Golf Club, Olds, Alberta.
Tournament Date: June 26, 2022
Tournament Highlights:
- On Sunday, June 26, a total of over 90 boys and girls ages 6 to 12 took part in either a Ford-sponsored clinic or a Mini Tournament in Olds, Alberta, on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour.
- The free Cam Clark Ford Olds Ford Go Golf! Junior Clinic introduced young kids in the community to the game via complimentary instruction from PGA of Canada Professionals, and the MJT Mini Tour at Olds Central Highlands hosted burgeoning competitive players in six age divisions in tournament play over 18 holes. Results of the tournament are highlighted in this release.
- Each division winner mentioned below qualified for the MJT Mini Tour National Championship being held at Tsawwassen Springs Golf Course, in Tsawwassen, BC, August 24-25.
- Solomon Tong, 12 of Heritage Pointe, AB, shot even par to win his second MJT Boys 11-12 division title on the 2022 MJT Alberta circuit, claiming the low overall score for the event.
- Shylee Kostiuk, 12, of Spruce Grove, AB, dominated the MJT Girls 11-12 division with a 78, besting her next competitor by eight strokes.
- Edwin Park, 9, of Bentley, AB, won the MJT Boys 9-10 division title, finishing with a 79 for an 11 stroke lead.
- In the MJT Girls 9-10 division, Sienna Saunders, 10, of Calgary, AB, won with a score of 91.
- Seven-year-old Elliott Miller of High River, AB, claimed the MJT Boys 8U title after he shot 107.
- Lila Skeates, 8, of Calgary, AB, in a tight race for podium finishes in MJT Girls 8U, edged out her competition by one stroke to win her division title.
- Winners of the MJT Closest to the Pin and Long Drive awards are posted on the website.
Top Finishers
MJT Girls 8U: Olds: Par 72, Ydg 3110, Slope/Rating 0/0.0
1 Lila Skeates Calgary, AB F 8 105 105
2 Emily Joy Calgary, AB F 8 106 106
3 Ain Lee Sylvan Lake, AB F 8 107 107
Winners Quote: Lila Skeates, 8, of Calgary, AB: “ I feel really happy! It makes me happy to have played in two mini tour tournaments this year. It was nice playing wth Ain again and meeting Emily. Winning the KP (closest-to-the-pin) was also a highlight. When things don’t go to plan, just take deep breaths and go with the flow.”
MJT Girls 9-10: Olds: Par 72, Ydg 3674, Slope/Rating 0/0.0
1 Sienna Saunders Calgary, AB F 10 91 91
2 Tayvn Zdunick Edmonton, AB F 10 105 105
Winners Quote: Sienna Saunders, 10, of Calgary, AB: “I feel awesome because I worked hard and I had lots of fun. Getting a birdie and hitting really nice drives, all while having fun doing it was the highlight this weekend. If my game is ever not going as planned, I think about why I’m here and I try to forget about the last shot or hole. Restart and hit the best shot I can play.”
MJT Girls 11-12: Olds: Par 72, Ydg 3674, Slope/Rating 0/0.0
1 Shylee Kostiuk Spruce Grove, AB F 12 78 78
2 Raylee Denton Red Deer, AB F 12 86 86
3 Elle Banister Calgary, AB F 11 87 87
Winners Quote: Shylee Kostiuk, 12, of Spruce Grove, AB: “I love this! The highlight this tournament was honestly the entire day, it was beautiful outside, and I hit an eagle putt on number 9. To keep calm if things aren’t going right, I just remember one shot one hole at a time.”
MJT Boys 8U: Olds: Par 72, Ydg 3110, Slope/Rating 0/0.0
1 Elliott Miller High River, AB M 7 107 107
2 Jaxon Cater Calgary, AB M 8 112 112
Winners Quote: Elliott Miller, 7, of High River, AB: “ I feel very good about winning this weekend, my putting was the highlight of my game this weekend, and having my whole family here to watch. If I feel pressured or the game isn’t going as planned, I just focus and think about hitting good shots.
MJT Boys 9-10: Olds: Par 72, Ydg 3674, Slope/Rating 0/0.0
1 Edwin Park Bentley, AB M 9 79 79
2 Erik Petersen Okotoks, AB M 10 90 90
3 Niko Tran Calgary, AB M 9 93 93
Winners Quote: Edwin Park, 9, of Bentley, AB: “I feel really happy because this is my second win this year in the MJT. My highlight is when I got a birdie on a par five bcause I hit a long putt. I just try to stay clam and do my best when things aren’t going as planned, I take three huge breaths and try to stay focused.”
MJT Boys 11-12: Olds : Par 72, Ydg 5024, Slope/Rating 108/64.3
1 Solomon Tong Heritage Pointe, AB M 12 72 72
2 Bennett Love Red Deer, AB M 11 75 75
3 Jake Fairey Edmonton, AB M 11 77 77
Winners Quote: Solomon Tong, 12, of Heritage Point, AB: “I feel confident now, especially going into tomorrow’s [June 27-28] MJT Junior Tournament where I entered the Peewee Boys division. The highlight was the last two holes of my game, where I made a critical bogey save on hole 17, and on 18, I made a winning 20 foot putt to shoot even. If I’m ever feeling under pressure, I like to take deep breaths and look at my situation realistically to not disappoint myself.”
Full results, Closest-to-the-Pin and Long Drive winners are posted on the
MJT website.
Next up in the province is the MJT Mini Tour at Red Deer Golf and Country Club in Red Deer, AB, July 7, 2022. 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