Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

June 10-11, 2023
Petersburg, ON

Two more top juniors shortlisted for Australia from MJT’s Humber College PGM Classic at Rebel Creek

It was a deep field of 94 talented young golfers that took part in the non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s MJT Humber College PGM Classic at Rebel Creek Golf Club in Petersburg, Ontario, this past weekend, June 10 and 11. This was the third out of a national five-event series sponsored by the Humber College PGM Program on Canada’s number one-played junior tour. Players were competing for titles in six divisions plus the chance to be shortlisted for MJT Team Canada to the Jack Newton International Junior Classic in New South Wales, Australia, this fall.

The field were treated to two great days of weather, a first-class venue, great tee gifting courtesy of the Humber College PGM Program and TaylorMade Golf, along with pizza from Panago Pizza.  Low Overall honours went to Julia Alexander-Carew, 17, of Oakville, ON, and Cooper Joyce, 16, of Etobicoke, ON, in the Girls and Boys divisions respectively. Cooper Joyce, along with Zhana Navato, 17, of Toronto, ON, were the age-eligible players who qualified to be shortlisted for MJT Team Canada to Australia, as the Jack Newton International Junior Classic is open to players aged 15 to 17 as of September 26, 2023.

Top scores in each division along with quotes from the winners are below. Results from the TaylorMade Long Drive, PLYR Closest to the Pin, Booster Juice BounceBack Awards and Academy Points are on the MJT website here.  

Registration is on-going for the next stop in the province, the MJT Ontario Series at Tangle Creek Golf and Country Club in Thornton, ON, on June 24-25 – see here. For more information on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour, please visit the website at www.maplejt.com. 

Top Finishers

MJT U15 Girls: Rebel Creek: Par 72, Ydg 5569, Slope/Rating 126/72.5

1 Evelyn Ma, Markham, ON, F, 12                                                      82-81 (163)

2 Gracie Vescan, Mississauga, ON, F, 13                                             94-89 (183)

Evelyn Ma, 12, of Markham, ON, played steady golf over the weekend to win the MJT Girls U15 Division title.  “I stayed calm and did not get angry on the bad shots,” said Ma.  “I conserved my energy as well.  I have been working on my short game a lot which helped me.”

MJT 15-19 Girls: Rebel Creek: Par 72, Ydg 5569, Slope/Rating 126/72.5

1 Julia Alexander-Carew, Oakville , ON, F, 17                                     75-72 (147)

2 Ela Jones, Kincardine , ON, F, 18                                                      80-74 (154)

3 Zhana Navato, Toronto, ON, F, 17                                                   82-75 (157)

MJT veteran, Julia Alexander-Carew, 17, of Oakville, ON, played flawless golf on day two to pull away from the pack and win the MJT Girls 15-19 Division.  “I’ve had a very good start to the season, so it feels great to get the win,” said Alexander-Carew.  “I’ve been working on my tee shots a lot recently and that made a big difference.”

MJT Peewee Boys: Rebel Creek: Par 72, Ydg 5569, Slope/Rating 123/66.9

1 Nathan Dai, North York, ON, M, 12                                                  82-72 (154)

2 Hunter Burke, Charlottetown, PE, M, 11                                         80-76 (156)

3 Dustin Zhao, Maple, ON, M, 11                                                        81-77 (158)

Nathan Dai, 12, of North York, ON, fired an even par 72 on Sunday to come from behind and win the MJT Peewee Boys Division title.  “It was a tough win after having a poor first round,” said Dai.  “I had a tough putt with a lot of break on 18.  I had to make it if my opponent Hunter made the birdie.”

MJT Bantam Boys: Rebel Creek: Par 72, Ydg 6040, Slope/Rating 126/69.2

1 Matthew Gray, Beamsville, ON, M, 14                                             79-75 (154)

2 Ryan Boone, Kitchener , ON, M, 14                                                 83-72 (155)

2 Marcus D'Aguilar, Kitchener, ON, M, 14                                          79-76 (155)

The tightest race of the weekend was in the MJT Bantam Boys division in which Matthew Gray, 14, of Beamsville, ON, came out on top by one shot.  “This win is a big success because this is the first event that I have won in 2023 and this is my first ever MJT win,” said Gray.

MJT Juvenile Boys: Rebel Creek: Par 72, Ydg 6460, Slope/Rating 129/71.3

1 Robert (Cooper) Joyce, Etobicoke, ON, M, 16                                 71-71 (142)

2 Aiden Pavey, Burlington, ON, M, 16                                                79-69 (148)

2 Adley Abols, Toronto, ON, M, 16                                                     75-73 (148)

Cooper Joyce, 16, of Etobicoke, ON, posted excellent back-to-back rounds of 71, finishing below par to win the MJT Juvenile Boys Division title in style.  “This win rates very high as it is my first one!” said Joyce.  “I just struck the ball well and putts were falling.  I made some key putts when I needed to.”

MJT Junior Boys: Rebel Creek: Par 72, Ydg 6460, Slope/Rating 129/71.3

1 Ben De Castro, Toronto, ON, M, 16                                                 72-72 (144)

2 Tyson Roth, Elmira, ON, M, 17                                                         72-76 (148)

3 Simon Moir, London, ON, M, 18                                                      76-75 (151)

A rock-solid pair of 72’s posted by Ben De Castro, 16, of Toronto, ON, led to a four stroke victory in the MJT Junior Boys Division.  “This win rates high because it is a strong field on a great course,” said De Castro.  “My decision making and putting made a huge difference and helped me out in a good way.”

Qualifiers List: Short-Listed Positions

MJT Team Canada to the Jack Newton International Junior Classic: New South Wales, Australia this September: Zhana Navato (Toronto, ON) and Robert (Cooper) Joyce (Etobicoke, ON) 

Note: International Junior Classic is open to players aged 15-17 as of September 26, 2023.

About Humber College PGM Program:  Humber College’s Business Administration - Professional Golf Management Program is a recognized PGA of Canada program. Gain a business education, develop your golf game, and embark on a career you will love. Gain valuable experience and earn income during our two six-month paid co-op terms. Our on-campus Golf Lab is a world-class golf performance training facility run by PGA Professionals. Our Golf Lab is equipped with three Simulator Rooms, a Golf Retail Shop, Golf Club Workshop, and 2000 square feet of putting surface. Our students have the opportunity to play on the Humber Hawks varsity golf team, the most decorated golf team in Canada. To see more on the Humber College Professional Golf Management (PGM) Program, watch this short video here or visit their 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

Follow the MJT on Twitter,  LIKE us on Facebook, Connect on LinkedIn, subscribe to MJT on Youtube or follow on Instagram