Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

August 1-2, 2023
Innisfail, AB

Hart breaks through to win first MJT title in MJT-SAIT Trojans Classic at Innisfail

The Innisfail Golf Club showed its teeth this week, causing havoc off the tee as players battled to keep the ball in play and fought to win their respective divisions in the MJT - SAIT Trojans Classic at Innisfail Golf Club in Innisfail, AB. The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), Canada’s number one-played junior tour, held the two-day tournament on August 1 and 2 for young golfers competing for titles in six divisions along with valuable MJT Order of Merit points, used to determine qualification into the season-ending MJT National Championship presented by TaylorMade and adidas Golf at the Wigwam Golf Resort in Litchfield Park, Arizona, this November.

Top finisher scores and winner quotes are detailed below, while results from the TaylorMade Long Drive, PLYR Closest to the Pin, Booster Juice BounceBack Awards and Academy Points, are posted on the MJT website here.  Highlights included two playoffs, with the one in the MJT Junior Boys division determining Jeremy Hart, 18, of Calgary, AB, the Low Overall Boys champion after he defeated Ethan Korbyl, 17, of Red Deer County, AB, with a par on the first playoff hole. The second title to be determined  by extra holes was in the MJT Juvenile Boys division where Brady Durkin, 15, of Sylvan Lake, AB, beat first-round leader Ryan Badger, 16, of Edmonton, AB, in one-hole playoff victory. Emma Liu, 16, of Edmonton, AB, played stellar golf to win the Girls 15-19 Division and Low Overall Girls honours for her second win of the season, and Harrison Kiziak, 14, of Fort Saskatchewan, AB, won for the fourth time this year in the MJT Bantam Boys Division.  

There are still a few openings in the next stop in the province, the three-day major-ranked MJT Edge School Summer Classic at Coyote Creek Golf Club in Sundre, AB, August 14-16 – players can register here.  For more information on the non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour, please visit the website at www.maplejt.com. 

Top Finishers

MJT Girls U15: Innisfail GC: Par 72, Ydg 4963, Slope/Rating 134/69.2

1 Emma Vanberg, Grande Prairie, AB, F, 13                  ​​​​​91-100 (191)

2 Kadie Forster, Rocky Mountain House, AB, F, 14​​​​     105-101 (206)

3 Riley Hyciek, Calgary, AB, F, 13​​​​​​                                       108-103 (211)

Emma Vanberg, 13, from Grande Prairie, AB, made a successful trek from northern Alberta to win the MJT Girls U15 Division title.  “It feels good to win,” said Vanberg.  “Coming down the stretch, I just wanted to finish strong.”

MJT Girls 15-19: Innisfail GC: Par 72, Ydg 4963, Slope/Rating 134/69.2

1 Emma Liu, Edmonton, AB, F, 16​​​​​​                              77-81 (158)

2 Charlie Duchnij, Airdrie, AB, F, 15                           ​​​​​​89-91 (180)

3 Edie Nicholson, Calgary, AB, F, 16                          ​​​​​​87-96 (183)

The MJT Girls 15-19 Division title was won by Emma Liu, 16, of Edmonton, AB, who posted solid rounds to claim her second victory of the season and claim Low Overall honours among the Girls.  “It feels good to win,” said Liu.  “I had a great time both days and happy that I played well.”

MJT Peewee Boys: Innisfail GC: Par 72, Ydg 5784, Slope/Rating 122/68.4

1 Harrison Wells, Edmonton, AB, M, 11​​​​​                               92-98 (190)

2 Sawyer Pierson, Calgary, AB, M, 12                                    ​​​​​​97-107 (204)

Harrison Wells, 11, of Edmonton, AB, played steady golf while navigating the difficult Innisfail track to win the MJT Peewee Boys Division title.  “It feels really good,” said Wells.  “I tried to stay focused, tried to keep the ball in the fairway and stay out of the water.”

MJT Bantam Boys: Innisfail GC: Par 72, Ydg 6228, Slope/Rating 131/70.5

1 Harrison Kiziak, Fort Saskatchewan, AB, M, 14​​​​                72-73 (145)

2 Sam Cook, Calgary, AB, M, 14                                                ​​​​​​76-71 (147)

3 Chase Strang, Airdrie, AB, M, 13​​​​​​                                           75-78 (153)

Harrison Kiziak, 14, of Fort Saskatchewan, AB, played some great golf both days, hovering around par on the tight Innisfail Golf Club for his fourth MJT Bantam Division win of the year.  “It feels really good on a challenging golf course,” said Kiziak.  “Coming down the stretch, I just tried to keep it simple.”

MJT Juvenile Boys: Innisfail GC: Par 72, Ydg 6605, Slope/Rating 136/72.3

1 Brady Durkin, Sylvan Lake, AB, M, 15               ​​​​​76-73 (149) Playoff

2 Ryan Badger, Edmonton, AB, M, 16                 ​​​​​​71-78 (149)

3 Charles Greaves, Banff, AB, M, 14​​​​​​                     75-78 (153)

The MJT Juvenile Division title was won by 15-year-old Brady Durkin of Sylvan Lake, AB, who needed one extra hole to defeat first-round leader Ryan Badger, 16, of Edmonton, AB.  “I knew I could do it, but it was just a matter of staying consistent,” said Durkin about his second win of the season.  “I’m really proud that I improved from day one.”

MJT Junior Boys: Innisfail GC: Par 72, Ydg 6605, Slope/Rating 136/72.3

1 Jeremy Hart, Calgary, AB, M, 18​​​​​​                         71-77 (148) Playoff

2 Ethan Korbyl, Red Deer County, AB, M, 17     ​​​​​75-73 (148)

3 Ryan Garbutt, Edmonton, AB, M, 17​​​​​                 74-77 (151)

MJT veteran, Jeremy Hart, 18, of Calgary, AB, posted an excellent first round of 71 and held on to finish regulation tied with Ethan Korbyl, 17, of Red Deer County, AB, who was applying pressure on day two.  Hart made par on the first playoff hole to claim the MJT Junior Division title and Low Overall honours to break through for his first win ever on the MJT.  “It feels amazing to win,” said Hart.  “I have been playing this tour for three years and I finally found my game and pulled through for my first win.”

About SAIT Trojans Athletics: The SAIT Trojans are a storied and competitive member of the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference (ACAC), with numerous Varsity and Club Sports. The current version of the Golf Team has been competing since 2018 and offers a student-athlete experience for those who wish to gain a quality education at a local institution, while annually challenging at provincial and national level championships. Visit the SAIT Trojans site for more information at www.saittrojans.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 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: 

Trent Matson, tmatson@maplejt.com, Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour

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