Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

July 22-23, 2023
Fenwick, ON

Burleigh and Yen take low overall in challenging conditions at MJT’s Sawmill stop

Canada’s number-one junior golf tour was treated like royalty in Fenwick, ON, this past weekend, as Sawmill Golf Club rolled out the red carpet for the field of 82 athletes who came to compete in six age divisions on the non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour, as well as for two shortlisted positions in the MJT National Team Challenge presented by Canada Life at Royal Niagara Golf Club this September. 

The first day of the July 23-24 event saw perfect scoring conditions but day two experienced a 90-minute weather delay due to rain and lightning, testing the players as they waited out the storm to get back on the course and finish 36 holes.  Scores from the top finishers and winner quotes are highlighted below. Results from the TaylorMade Long Drive, PLYR Closest to the Pin, Booster Juice BounceBack Awards and Academy Points can be found on the MJT website here. Low overall honours for Girls and Boys respectively went to Astoria Yen, 17, of Toronto, ON, (73-75), who won her second MJT Girls 15-19 title in a row, and Will Burleigh, 16, of Grimsby, ON, (72-73) in the MJT Junior Boys Division, his first MJT title in three seasons on tour, earning both players the shortlisted spots in the MJT National Team Challenge.  Other highlights included 11-year-old Dustin Zhao of Maple, ON, matching par in the Peewee Boys Division, and a fine round of 68 from Terrence Deng, 13, of Toronto, ON, in the Bantam Boys division.

The next event in the province is the MJT Ontario Series at Settler’s Ghost Golf Club in Barrie, ON, July 29-30, which still has a few openings – players can register here.  For more information on Canada’s number one-played Junior Golf Tour, please visit the website at www.maplejt.com.

Top Finishers

MJT Girls U15: Sawmill GC: Par 72, Ydg 5189, Slope/Rating 125/70.9

1 Evelyn Ma, Markham, ON, F, 12                                                                  75-74 (149)

2 Alexis Card, Cambridge, ON, F, 12                                                             78-77 (155)

3 Sierra Kowalyshyn, Stoney Creek, ON, F, 14                                           80-79 (159)

Evelyn Ma, 12, of Markham, ON, played amazing golf over the weekend, winning by six shots over her nearest rival in the MJT U15 Girls Division.  “It feels good to win because a few weeks ago I had a really rough round,” said Ma.  “This win really improves my mindset for the next few tournaments.”

MJT Girls 15-19: Sawmill GC: Par 72, Ydg 5189, Slope/Rating 125/70.9

1 Astoria Yen, Toronto, ON, F, 17                                                                   73-75 (148)

2 Kiana Chen, North York, ON, F, 16                                                              79-72 (151)

3 Kassandra Rombouts, Florence, ON, F, 15                                               78-79 (157)

The MJT Girls 15-19 Division title was won by Toronto’s Astoria Yen, 17, who posted two great rounds to hold off a hard-charging Kiana Chen of North York, ON, on the final day.  “This feels amazing!” said Yen.  “I have been shooting well recently so this feel very rewarding.  The rain didn’t affect my game and I had to make sure to play my own game.”

MJT Peewee Boys: Sawmill GC: Par 71, Ydg 5189, Slope/Rating 116/65.5

1 Dustin Zhao, Maple, ON, M, 11                                                                    72-70 (142)

2 Gerry Kou, Markham, ON, M, 11                                                                  71-75 (146)

3 Liam Ampil, Brampton, ON, M, 12                                                               76-78 (154)

The MJT Peewee Boys title went to MJT veteran, Dustin Zhao, 11, of Maple, ON, who fired a one-under par 70 on the second day to pull away from the field.  “This feels amazing!” said Zhao.  “I wanted to birdie the last hole and I sank a 15-footer for birdie.”

MJT Bantam Boys: Sawmill GC: Par 71, Ydg 5871, Slope/Rating 120/68.9

1 Terrence Deng, Toronto, ON, M, 13                                                             75-68 (143)

2 Brayden Card, Cambridge, ON, M, 14                                                          73-73 (146)

2 Ben Julie, Fenwick, ON, M, 14                                                                        73-73 (146)

Terrence Deng, 13, of Toronto, ON, was the only player to break 70 on the challenging Sawmill Golf Course, winning the MJT Bantam Boys Division title after firing a final round of 68 (three-under par).  “It feels good to win this weekend for sure,” said Deng.  “I am glad that all the work that I put in is paying off now.”

MJT Juvenile Boys: Sawmill GC: Par 71, Ydg 6572, Slope/Rating 128/71.8

1 Cole Thompson, Beamsville, ON, M, 16                                                       77-75 (152)

2 Logan Woodiwiss, Strathroy, ON, M, 15                                                      77-80 (157)

3 Blake Furtney, Fonthill, ON, M, 16                                                                 81-77 (158)

Winning for the second week in a row on the MJT Ontario circuit was 16-year-old Cole Thompson from Beamsville, ON, who played steady golf for a five stroke victory in the MJT Juvenile Boys Division. “This feels great,” said Thompson.  “I find the course very tricky from the back tees.  I didn’t have my best tee game this week, but I grinded it out.”

MJT Junior Boys: Sawmill GC: Par 71, Ydg 6572, Slope/Rating 128/71.8

1 Will Burleigh, Grimsby, ON, M, 16                                                                  72-73 (145)

2 Sadiq Habib, Richmond Hill, ON, M, 17                                                        76-73 (149)

3 Nathan Freure, Wellandport, ON, M, 18                                                      74-77 (151)

Will Burleigh, 16, of Beamsville, ON, fired two great rounds to hold on for his first MJT win, claiming the MJT Junior Boys Division title and Low Overall honours for the weekend.  “It feels great to win my first MJT event,” said Burleigh. “This is my third season playing the tour and over the past few weeks I have really been working on my putting and I felt it really came through over the past two days.”

Qualified Players (shortlisted) for the MJT National Team Challenge presented by Canada Life at Royal Niagara GC: Will Burleigh (Grimsby, ON) and Astoria Yen (Toronto, ON)

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