Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

March 16-18, 2024
Vancouver, BC

Sizzling start to season at MJT’s Humber PGM Classic in Vancouver

Exceptional talent and sportsmanship were showcased by a wait-listed field of top junior golfers in the recently completed three-day MJT Humber College PGM Classic at University Golf Club in Vancouver, British Columbia, March 16 through 18. This was the first of five events in a nationally sponsored series by the Humber College Professional Golf Management (PGM) Program on Canada’s #1 junior tour, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), and the first major MJT Order of Merit (OOM) event of the season.  

Against the picturesque backdrop of Vancouver under sunny skies, juniors in six divisions recorded some sizzling scores on the well-manicured 95-year-old University Golf Course. Low overall, in the MJT Girls 15-19 and MJT Junior Boys divisions respectively, were Ha Young Chang, 15, of Surrey, BC (68, 72, 70=210) and Manny Lalh, 17, of Nanaimo, BC (70, 70, 71=211). The other high-performing division winners with some incredible scores for the three days were Jackson Wang, 12, of Surrey, BC, in MJT Peewee Boys (209), Jeevyn Lotay, 14, of Burnaby, BC, in MJT Bantam Boys (214), Bella Yang, 12, of Vancouver in MJT Girls U15 (223), and Jaden August, 14, of Burnaby, BC, in MJT Juvenile Boys (213). 

Major MJT OOM points were awarded along with World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), AJGA PBE Stars, Global Golf and Junior Golf Scoreboard Rankings, along with exemptions into high level events such as the MJT Future Stars Invitational, FCG Callaway World Golf Championship, International Junior Masters and more. A list of the qualified players is below, along with top finisher scores and quotes from the division winners.

For full tournament results, please visit the MJT website here; results from the London Drugs Long Drive, PLYR Closest to the Pin, Booster Juice BounceBack Awards, and Academy Points standings, are posted here. 

The next MJT event in the province is the MJT adidas Golf Series at Hazelmere Golf and Tennis Club in Surrey, BC, on March 20-21.  For more information, please visit the website at www.maplejt.com. 

Top Finishers by Division
 

MJT Junior Boys: Par 72, Ydg 6423, Slope/Rating 125/70.8

With a commanding five-stroke lead, Manny Lalh from Nanaimo, BC, secured the championship title in the MJT Junior Boys Division and Low Overall Boy from the back tees with fantastic scores of 70, 70 and 71. When asked about his reaction to the victory, Manny stated, "I feel absolutely ecstatic to emerge victorious today. It's an honor to compete in such a fiercely contested tour.”

MJT Girls 15-19: Par 72, Ydg 5541, Slope/Rating 120/72.0

MJT star performer, Ha Young Chang, 15, of Surrey, BC, claimed both the MJT Girls 15-19 and Low Overall titles with brilliant scores of 68, 72 and 70. “My shots were amazing,” said Chang. “I had a lot of good shots and a few of them were next to the hole.”

MJT Juvenile Boys: Par 72, Ydg 6423, Slope/Rating 125/70.8

MJT veteran champion, Jaden August of Pitt Meadows, BC, clinched the MJT Juvenile Boys title with excellent rounds of 68, 74 and 71. “I think I had a great game plan coming into the tournament” he noted.

MJT Bantam Boys: Par 72, Ydg 6056, Slope/Rating 119/69.0

MJT Bantam Boys winner was Jeevyn Lotay, 14, of Burnaby, BC, who finished with fine scores of 73, 69, 72 for the week. “I’ve put in so much work in the off-season and it was nice for it to pay off,” stated Lotay of his victory. “My mental game was great. On hole 11 of the final round, I made triple-bogey. But I stayed patient and calm and made par the rest of the way.”

MJT Girls U15: Par 72, Ydg 5541, Slope/Rating 120/72.0

Twelve-year-old Bella (Bihan) Yang of Vancouver, BC, had three rock solid rounds to take home the title for MJT Girls U15.  Yang credits her quick start this season to ‘everything going smoothly and working together.’ Regarding her win, Yang said, “I feel really exhilarated and proud.”

MJT Peewee Boys: Par 72, Ydg 5541, Slope/Rating 114/66

The title of MJT Peewee Boys winner went to Jackson Wang of Surrey, BC, who at only 12 years of age, fired blistering rounds of 70, 69, 70 to finish at seven under par (-7). “I feel very happy, winning the first Junior Golf Tour of the year” said Wang.  

Qualified Players: MJT Future Stars Invitational presented by ATB: Manny Lalh and Jaden August

International Junior Masters and BC Junior Boys: Manny Lalh

East Coast Junior Championship: Manny Lalh, Jaden August, Ha Young Chang

World Stars Championship: Charlotte Tam, Rikki Liu, Kaylee Chung, Jason Zhang, BoSheng (Dylan) Zhang, Troy Gadalla

FCG World Championship: Jackson Wang, Jeevyn Lotay, Manny Lalh, Bella Yang, Sela Ogada, Ha Young Chang

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. Students have the opportunity to play on the Humber Hawks varsity golf team, the most decorated golf team in Canada. For more information, please visit our website at business.humber.ca/golf. 

About the MJT: The non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour is Canada’s #1 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 more than 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: Jessica Parker, Marketing & Communications Manager, Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour