Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour
The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA ProfessionalsPress Release
August 12-13, 2023
Waskesiu, SK
Franklin fires up MJT PLYR Series where over 120 juniors compete at Elk Ridge Resort
The non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour, Canada’s number one-played junior tour, was in Waskesiu, Saskatchewan, this past weekend, hosting a fantastic field of 122 players in both a Junior (19U) and Mini Tour (12U) event. Highlights of the Junior Tour stop, the MJT PLYR Series at Elk Ridge Resort where 89 players took part, are detailed here. Competitors battled it out in six divisions for amazing PLYR prize packages and the chance to earn valuable MJT Order of Merit (OOM) points to qualify for the season-ending MJT National Championship presented by TaylorMade and adidas Golf at The Wigwam Golf Resort in Litchfield Park, Arizona, this November.
The picturesque Elk Ridge Resort presented a perfect backdrop for a tournament with tree-lined fairways and beautiful views. The perfect course conditions led to some great highlights, such as Aricin Franklin, 14, of Saskatoon, SK, posting a scorching final round 66 to finish the weekend at eight under par in the MJT Bantam Boys division. Grace Odnokon, 13, of Saskatoon, SK and Chloe Wills, 15, of Kyle, SK, tied for Low Overall honours among the Girls while Carter Degelman, 17, of Saskatoon, SK, finished at four over par in the MJT Junior Division to claim Low Overall from the furthest yardage for the Boys. Lastly, it took four extra holes in a sudden death playoff but Coben Taylor, 15, of Saskatoon, SK, finally defeated Jack Maharaj, 15, of Saskatoon, SK, for the MJT Juvenile Boys title.
Top finisher scores and winner quotes are featured below. 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. The final MJT event in the province is the popular
MJT Golf Saskatchewan OOM Championship at The Legends Golf Club in Warman, SK, on August 26-27, 2023. 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: Tamarack/Birch: Par 72, Ydg 5204, Slope/Rating 127/70.3
1 Grace Odnokon, Saskatoon, SK, F, 13 83-84 (167)
2 Youran Zhu, Saskatoon, SK, F, 12 102-97 (199)
3 Arwen Mosher, Saskatoon, SK, F, 13 102-102 (204)
Grace Odnokon, 13, of Saskatoon, SK, played very consistent golf for her first victory of the season in the Girls U15 Division, sharing Low Overall honours with the MJT Girls 15-19 winner. “It feels pretty good knowing that I played better than last year,” said Odnokon. “I just tried to focus on my own game.”
MJT Girls 15-19: Tamarack/Birch: Par 72, Ydg 5204, Slope/Rating 127/70.3
1 Chloe Wills, Kyle, SK, F, 15 85-82 (167)
2 Niya Friesen, Swift Current, SK, F, 15 84-86 (170)
3 Sarah Henderson, Saskatoon, SK, F, 15 88-86 (174)
Chloe Wills, 15, of Kyle, SK, posted solid scores for the tough Elk Ridge track to win the MJT Girls 15-19 Division title and shared Low Overall honours. “I’m very happy to finish with a win,” said Wills. “I was a bit nervous coming down the stretch knowing that it was close.”
MJT Peewee Boys: Tamarack/Birch: Par 72, Ydg 5204, Slope/Rating 107/65.5
1 Austin Nesbitt, Pilot Butte, SK, M, 12 76-73 (149)
2 Tylan Wallin, Humboldt, SK, M, 12 81-80 (161)
3 Hudson Diederichs, Saskatoon, SK, M, 12 80-85 (165)
It has been an amazing run for 12-year-old Austin Nesbitt of Pilot Butte, SK, who ran away with the MJT Peewee Boys Division title for his sixth win of the year. “It feels good. My first day was not my greatest but I played way better on the second,” said Nesbitt. “I tried to make smart decisions and had a good attitude.”
MJT Bantam Boys: Tamarack/Birch: Par 72, Ydg 5690, Slope/Rating 120/67.9
1 Aricin Franklin, Saskatoon, SK, M, 14 70-66 (136)
2 Finn Silver, North Battleford, SK, M, 14 75-74 (149)
3 Shae Maunula, North Battleford, SK, M, 13 77-75 (152)
Firing up the MJT PLYR Series was 14-year-old Aricin Franklin of Saskatoon, SK, who blazed his way around the Elk Ridge course shooting eight under par to win the MJT Bantam Boys Division title, his third event of the season. “It feels really great to know I played well and won this week,” said Franklin. “I kept trying to hit good shots and making some putts.”
MJT Juvenile Boys: Tamarack/Birch: Par 72, Ydg 6387, Slope/Rating 126/70.0
1 Coben Taylor, Saskatoon, SK, M, 15 77-76 (153) Playoff
2 Jack Maharaj, Saskatoon, SK, M, 15 80-73 (153)
3 Hudson Heistad, Avonlea, SK, M, 16 77-78 (155)
Two 15-year-olds from Saskatoon, SK, battled for the MJT Juvenile Division title in a sudden death playoff, with Coben Taylor finally defeating Jack Maharaj on the fourth extra hole. “It feels great because I haven’t ever been in that position and I came out on top,” said Taylor. “My mindset was to keep calm and swing smooth and keep good emotions.”
MJT Junior Boys: Tamarack/Birch: Par 72, Ydg 6387, Slope/Rating 126/70.0
1 Carter Degelman, Saskatoon, SK, M, 17 75-73 (148)
2 Brody Sawchyn, Saskatoon, SK, M, 18 78-74 (152)
2 Drayjon Sparvier, Regina Ochapowace First Nation, SK, M, 19 76-76 (152)
Carter Degelman, 17, of Saskatoon, SK, posted two great rounds on the tricky Elk Ridge Resort to win his second MJT Boys Junior Division title of the year and low Overall honours. “It feels good to win at a course I have been playing my whole life,” said Degelman. “I tried to remain calm and stick to my routine.”
About PLYR Golf: Established in 2015, PLYR emerged with a idea that would allow both casual street apparel and golf attire to merge. Fast forward a few years and although the brand has expanded beyond the course, the vision remains - push the status quo on what is 'cool' in athletic apparel. Our mission is simple. Create a culture that will inspire and connect the next generation of PLYR's* through innovative, high-quality products. PLYR* - Any and all athletes. We are all PLYR's. For more information, and to see PLYR's full line of products, visit the website HERE.
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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