Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour
The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA ProfessionalsPress Release
September 30-October 1, 2023
Richmond, BC
MJT’s Ford Series finale finishes off successful season at Mayfair Lakes Golf Club
The conclusion of the 2023 season on Canada’s number one Junior Golf Tour was a fitting one, as over 115 young athletes gathered at Mayfair Lakes Golf Club in Richmond, BC, over September 30 and October 1 to participate in events sponsored by the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s Premier Partner, Ford Canada, and Cam Clark Ford Richmond.
The activities kicked-off with a free junior golf clinic, courtesy of Cam Clark Ford on September 29. This clinic aimed to introduce kids aged six to 12 in the community to the great game of golf.
Following the clinic, the stage was set for the MJT Ford Series, held on September 30 and October 1. This two-day tournament for golfers aged 19 and under offered a high level of competition in six separate divisions, along with the chance to win a 2024 Ford Escape valued at $40,000 in a Ford Hole-in-One contest.
Highlights of this tournament are noted below, namely the top finisher scores and quotes from the winners, while full results and winners of the TaylorMade Long Drive, PLYR Closest to the Pin, Booster Juice BounceBack Awards and Academy Points are available on the MJT website.
The titles of Low Overall for Girls and Boys respectively were secured by Kaylee Chung of Vancouver, BC, who posted scores of 81-73 for a total of 154 in MJT Girls 15-19, and Aidan Liu of Richmond, BC, with scores of 73-74 for a total of 147 in MJT Juvenile Boys. Both competitors showcased exceptional skills by playing from the furthest yardage and clinched victory in their respective age divisions in very deep fields.
Other noteworthy performances included Karrisa Zhao of West Vancouver, who posted scores of 77-72 to claim the MJT U15 Girls Division title. Tiger Zhao of Vancouver, BC, demonstrated remarkable consistency by shooting even par on the final day to hold off the competitors in the MJT Peewee Boys Division. Jim (ChengZe) Zhu of Vancouver, BC, impressed by carding scores of 70-71 to finish the weekend under par in MJT Bantam Boys. William Wei of Richmond, BC, proudly secured the MJT Junior Boys Division title.
The MJT Ford Series at Mayfair Lakes Golf Club wrapped up another successful season on the MJT and we wish to thank all the players and families for their support. Early Bird memberships for 2024 will be available in December. More information on Canada's number one Junior Golf Tour as well as results of the invitation-only and prestigious MJT National Championship presented by TaylorMade & adidas Golf in Arizona this November, can be viewed online at www.maplejt.com.
Top Finishers
MJT Girls U15: Mayfair Lakes: Par 72, Ydg 5277, Slope/Rating 121/71.3
1 Karrisa Zhao, West Vancouver, BC, F, 13 77-72 (149)
2 Martina Ling, Vancouver, BC, F, 14 83-77 (160)
3 Yunhan Liu, Surrey, BC, F, 13 81-81 (162)
Karrisa Zhao, 13, of West Vancouver, BC, posted a final round 72 to pull away from the field and win the MJT U15 Girls Division title, her first win of the season. “I’m extremely happy and proud to win the last tournament of the season,” said Zhao. “My short game came in just when I needed it!”
MJT Girls 15-19: Mayfair Lakes: Par 72, Ydg 5673, Slope/Rating 127/73.6
1 Kaylee Chung, Vancouver, BC, F, 15 81-73 (154)
2 Nancy Liu, Surrey, BC, F, 16 77-82 (159)
3 Mandi Wang, Surrey, BC, F, 15 86-80 (166)
The MJT Girls 15-19 Division title and Low Overall honours went to 15-year-old Kaylee Chung of Vancouver, BC, who fired a 73 on the final day to win by five shots. “Winning this event was a great way for me to finish off the 2023 season,” said Chung. “I’m really thankful and proud that I ended the season with another win.”
MJT Peewee Boys: Mayfair Lakes: Par 71, Ydg 5277, Slope/Rating 109/65.9
1 Tiger Zhao, Vancouver, BC, M, 12 76-71 (147)
2 Andrew Hou, Vancouver, BC, M, 12 78-71 (149)
3 Yujun (Tiger) Du, Delta, BC, M, 12 83-72 (155)
Tiger Zhao, 12, of Vancouver, BC, fired a final round 71 (even par) to hold off all competitors and win the MJT Peewee Boys Division title, his fifth of the 2023 season. “It feels great to win,” said Zhao. When asked about his key to success, Zhao responded “My tee shots were good.”
MJT Bantam Boys: Mayfair Lakes: Par 71, Ydg 6155, Slope/Rating 122/70.0
1 Jim (ChengZe) Zhu, Vancouver, BC, M, 14 71-70 (141)
2 Curtis Liu, Richmond, BC, M, 15 71-72 (143)
3 Jihoo You, Langley, BC, M, 13 80-75 (155)
The MJT Bantam Boys Division title was successfully defended by past champion, Jim (ChengZe) Zhu of Vancouver, BC, who posted excellent scores and finished under par for the weekend. “I feel great winning this tournament again for the third time,” said Zhu. “It was pretty close at the end after I made triple on number 13.”
MJT Juvenile Boys: Mayfair Lakes: Par 71, Ydg 6608, Slope/Rating 126/71.7
1 Aidan Liu, Richmond, BC, M, 15 73-74 (147)
2 David Zhou, Vancouver, BC, M, 16 73-75 (148)
3 Harley Liu, Burnaby, BC, M, 16 77-76 (153)
3 Jonathan Van Pykstra, Vancouver, BC, M, 16 77-76 (153)
Claiming Low Overall honours and winning the MJT Juvenile Boys Division was 15-year-old Aidan Liu of Richmond, BC, who broke through and won for the first time on the MJT this season. “It feels good to win this event because I fought really hard to keep the lead,” said Liu. “The key to my success is keeping a good attitude.”
MJT Junior Boys: Mayfair Lakes: Par 71, Ydg 6608, Slope/Rating 126/71.7
1 William Wei, Richmond, BC, M, 17 77-80 (157)
2 David Krahn, Christina Lake, BC, M, 17 97-81 (178)
William Wei, 17, of Richmond, BC, won the MJT Junior Boys Division title and credited ‘staying patient’ as the main key to his success. “It feels great to win, especially the last event of the year.”
About Ford Canada: Ford of Canada and the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) are proud to continue with the successful MJT Ford Go Golf! Junior Clinics - an initiative that introduces golf for free to young people, teaching them a game they can benefit from their entire lives. Many thousands of kids have participated in this program since 2006. Clinics have been held in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan where participating Ford Dealers offer free MJT Ford Go Golf! Junior Clinics conducted by PGA of Canada Professionals to children in their community. Ford and the Ford Dealers Association wish to support amateur sport in their communities by introducing children to golf, encouraging them to learn the fundamentals, and rewarding them for their efforts. www.ford.ca
About the MJT: The non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour is Canada’s number one 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 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: Jessica Parker, marketing@maplejt.com, Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour
Follow the MJT on Twitter, LIKE us on Facebook, Connect on LinkedIn, subscribe to MJT on Youtube or follow on Instagram