Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour
The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA ProfessionalsPress Release
July 6, 2023
Calgary, AB
Tran and Ruesga-Rojas win low overall titles on MJT Mini Tour at GolfutureYYC in Calgary
A large field of talented young golfers aged 12 and under came out to compete in six divisions at the non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s MJT Mini Tour at GolfutureYYC in Calgary, Alberta, on July 6. This was the fourth event on the MJT Alberta Mini Tour circuit, and the exciting day also had exemptions up for grabs into the MJT Mini Tour National Championship at Tsawwassen Springs Golf Course in British Columbia this August.
Low overall scores for the Boys and Girls divisions respectively were shot by Calgarians Niko Tran, 10, and Camilla Ruesga-Rojas, 11. Each division winner, unless already exempt, qualified for the year-end finale event in British Columbia. In divisions where the winner was already exempt, the next highest ranked player who meets the scoring requirement received an invite. Results from the top finishers and winner quotes are noted below, while full results and Academy Points rankings can be seen on the MJT website here.
The next MJT Mini Tour event in the province is the MJT Mini Tour at Innisfail Golf Club in Innisfail, AB, on July 10 – players can register here. More information on Canada’s number one-played Junior Golf Tour, including the entire 2023 schedule, can be found online at www.maplejt.com.
Girls 11-12: Golfuture YYC: Par 54, Ydg 2160, Slope/Rating 0/0.0
1 Camilla Ruesga-Rojas, Calgary, AB, F, 11 33-30 (63)
2 Elle Banister, Calgary, AB, F, 12 34-33 (67)
3 Kaitlyn Joy, Calgary, AB, F, 12 42-36 (78)
The MJT Girls 11-12 Division title and low overall Girls score went to 11-year-old Camilla Ruesga-Rojas of Calgary, AB, who carved out a tidy 30 on the final nine to pull away from her nearest rival. “I feel excited to win this tourney,” said Ruesga-Rojas. “I was calm and not distracted.”
Girls 9-10: Golfuture YYC: Par 54, Ydg 2160, Slope/Rating 0/0.0
1 Hannah Mix, Calgary, AB, F, 10 42-36 (78)
2 Morgan Tucnik, Calgary, AB, F, 8 47-43 (90)
3 Sydney Preston, Calgary, AB, F, 10 46-45 (91)
Hannah Mix, 10, of Calgary, AB, won the MJT Girls 9-10 Division title by 12 shots over her nearest rival. “It feels good to win, because I was really nervous, but I’m glad my dad was there to help,” said Mix. “I was happy and proud of myself.”
1 Kaylin Russell, Calgary, AB, F, 8 53-52 (105)
Kaylin Russell, 8, of Calgary, AB, played steady over the day posting solid nines of 53-52 in the MJT Girls 8U Division. “This was very fun for my first event,” said Russell. “I was excited to do my favorite thing.”
Boys 8U: Golfuture YYC: Par 54, Ydg 2160, Slope/Rating 0/0.0
1 Samuel Ogada, Calgary, AB, M, 8 38-39 (77)
2 Mika Bhamra, Calgary, AB, M, 7 44-35 (79)
3 Mathias Ruesga, Calgary, AB, M, 8 46-50 (96)
Samuel Ogada, 8, of Calgary, AB, was steady as his fellow competitors were charging on the back and held all of them off to win the MJT Boys 8U Division title. “It feels really good, I have never felt this before,” said Ogada. “I was really nervous because some of the holes are really challenging.”
Boys 9-10: Golfuture YYC: Par 54, Ydg 2160, Slope/Rating 0/0.0
1 Niko Tran, Calgary, AB, M, 10 29-32 (61)
2 Shane Sky, Foothills, AB, M, 8 29-35 (64)
3 Jaxon Rogalczyk, Innisfail, AB, M, 9 38-39 (77)
Niko Tran, 10, of Calgary, made the turn tied for the lead and pulled away with some solid play on the back nine to earn the MJT Boys 9-10 Division title and low overall Boys score. “It feels really good and I was trying to stay positive,” said Tran, as he prepares to head to California for the IMG Junior World Championship.
Boys 11-12: Golfuture YYC: Par 54, Ydg 2160, Slope/Rating 0/0.0
1 Mason Kuryvial, Taber, AB, M, 12 35-28 (63)
2 Jacob Brunette, Calgary, AB, M, 11 34-30 (64)
3 Jacob Miller, Beaumont, AB, M, 11 33-38 (71)
Taber, AB, resident, Mason Kuryvial, 12, won his second MJT Boys 11-12 Division title of the season after edging out a one stroke victory. “It feels amazing to get my second win of the year,” said Kuryvial. I hope that I can maybe get a couple more this year.”
Qualifiers – players must meet scoring requirements:
MJT Mini Tour National Championship at Tsawwassen Springs GC: Jacob Brunette (Calgary), Shane Sky (Foothills), Samuel Ogada (Calgary), Elle Bannister (Calgary), and Hannah Mix (Calgary)
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.
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