Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

June 17, 2023
Etobicoke, ON

Zhao shoots two under 68 to win low overall in MJT Mini Tour at Centennial Park

Up-and-coming young competitive golfers ages seven through 12 came out to play on June 17 in the non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s Mini Tour in Etobicoke, Ontario, at a great new venue for the circuit – Centennial Park Golf Course.  This was the third stop out of a seven-event circuit which is also offering qualifying spots into the season-ending MJT Mini Tour National Championship in British Columbia this August.

A slight breeze but overall perfect weather and course conditions greeted the players and caddies, and some great scores were recorded.  Dustin Zhao, 11, of Maple, ON, and Sophia Noh, 9, of Richmond Hill, ON, both claimed Low Overall honours on the tight Centennial Park track and punched their ticket to the MJT Mini Tour National Championship in Tsawwassen, BC, this August. Top finisher results and quotes from the division winners are noted below. 

The next stop in the province is the MJT Mini Tour at Sawmill Golf Club in Fenwick, ON, on July 9 – players can register here.  For more information on Canada’s number one-played Junior Golf Tour, including details of the entire 2023 MJT Mini Tour schedule, please visit the website.

MJT Girls 8U: Par 70, Ydg 3455

1 Lanai Park, Oakville , ON, F, 7                                                                       41-42 (83)

2 Cara Noh, Richmond Hill, ON, F, 7                                                               43-46 (89)

3 Kensie McGuire, King City, ON, F, 8                                                             49-52 (101)

Winning her third straight MJT Girls 8U Division title was seven-year-old Lanai Park of Oakville, ON, who played well and finished the day with a six-shot lead.  “I have been working on putting over 30 feet,” said Park.  When asked what part of her game lead to the win, she said ‘my long game.’

MJT Girls 9-10: Par 70, Ydg 3781

1 Sophia Noh, Richmond Hill, ON, F, 9                                                            40-40 (80)

2 Avery McGuire, King City, ON, F, 10                                                             43-38 (81)

2 Amanda Zhang, Richmond Hill, ON, F, 10                                                    42-39 (81)

In the most tightly contested division of the day, Sophia Noh, 9, of Richmond Hill, ON, played steady golf, carding back-to-back 40’s to claim Low Overall honours and the MJT Girls 9-10 Division title. “I rate this win as a 9.5,” said Noh.  “I focused also for the 28-foot putt on the last hole.”  

MJT Girls 11-12: Par 70, Ydg 3781

1 Audrina Lau, Toronto, ON, F, 11                                                                  40-42 (82)

2 Mona Zhao, Richmond Hill, ON, F, 11                                                          39-48 (87)

3 Grace (HyunYi) Kim, Burlington, ON, F, 11                                                   49-40 (89)

Audrina Lau, 11, of Toronto, ON, was solid for 18 holes to win the MJT Girls 11-12 Division title.  “This win was very unexpected because I didn’t play my best,” said Lau.  “It always feels good to win.  What helped me was making two birdies in a row.”

MJT Boys 9-10: Par 70, Ydg 3781

1 Clark Kirkham, Shelburne, ON, M, 10                                                          34-35 (69)

2 Derek Zhao, Maple, ON, M, 9                                                                      39-37 (76)

3 Jax Vescan, Mississauga, ON, M, 9                                                               39-41 (80)

Clark Kirkham, 10, of Shelburne, ON, was one of two players to break par, finishing at one-under and winning the MJT Boys 9-10 Division title.  “I hit a lot of greens and drove the ball well,” stated Kirkham.  “It feels great to win an MJT tournament.”

MJT Boys 11-12: Par 70, Ydg 3781

1 Dustin Zhao, Maple, ON, M, 11                                                                    34-34 (68)

2 Eli Perng, St Davids, ON, M, 11                                                                    37-36 (73)

3 Ethan Tan, Oakville, ON, M, 12                                                                    39-35 (74)

Low Overall honours and MJT Boys 11-12 Division title went to 11-year-old Dustin Zhao of Maple, ON, who shot the best round of the day and posted a two-under 68.  “This win rates as a 10 out of 10!” said Zhao.  “I had a lot of good chips and putts.  Plus, I am working on my irons and it helped me a lot because of the par three’s.”

Qualifiers: MJT Mini Tour National Championship at Tsawwassen Springs GC: Cara Noh (Richmond Hill, ON), Sophia Noh (Richmond Hill, ON), Audrina Lau (Toronto, ON), Clark Kirkham (Shelburne, ON), and Dustin Zhao (Maple, 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

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