Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour
The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA ProfessionalsPress Release
March 20-21, 2024
Surrey, BC
MJT adidas Golf Series in British Columbia qualifies several juniors for international events
Talented junior golfers competed in the two-day MJT adidas Golf Series at Hazelmere Golf and Tennis Club in Surrey, British Columbia, on March 20 and 21, in the first of a six event-series sponsored nationally by adidas Golf on Canada’s #1 junior tour, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT).
Despite cloudy skies, heavy winds, and two temporary greens due to the harsh winter, some outstanding scores were recorded on the 62-year-old Golf Course.
Low overall Girl and Boy were Anna Wu, 12, of Victoria, BC (73,75=148) and Louis Chun, 16, of Port Coquitlam, BC (67,74=141), who competed in the MJT Girls U15 and MJT Junior Boys divisions respectively. The other high-performing division winners with some great scoring for the two days were Chelsie Ji, 14, of Burnaby, BC, in MJT Girls 15-19 (155), Jayden H X Zhu, 12, of Surrey, BC, in MJT Peewee Boys (145), Tyson Valk, 14, North Vancouver, BC, in MJT Bantam Boys (143), and Richard RuoHeng Sun, 16, Burnaby, BC, in MJT Juvenile Boys (144).
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.
Several juniors qualified for exemptions into high level competitions such as the PGA Tour America-affiliated MJT Future Stars presented by ATB, the East Coast Junior Championship, the FCG Callaway World Golf Championship, International Junior Masters and World Stars Golf Championship. Qualified players are noted below, along with the top finisher scores and winner quotes from each division.
The MJT Junior Tour for U19 will be back on the course with the wait-listed MJT IMG Academy Junior Worlds Qualifier at Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey, BC, on April 6-7. For more information, please visit the website at www.maplejt.com.
Top Finishers by Division
MJT Junior Boys: Par 72, Ydg 6401, Slope/Rating 123/70.3
Sixteen-year-old Louis Chun of Port Coquitlam, BC, had an outstanding tournament, firing a spectacular 67 (-5) in round one to claim the MJT Junior and Low Overall Boys title. Chun also took home the PLYR Closest to the Pin for his division. When asked about his victories, Chun said. “I feel very happy that my hard work paid off. I hit really good iron shots and putts all throughout the tournament.”
MJT Girls U15: Par 72, Ydg 5279, Slope/Rating 114/71.3
Anna Wu, a twelve-year-old hailing from Victoria, BC, clinched the MJT Girls U15 and Low Overall Girl titles in her debut tournament on the MJT circuit. Wu shared the joy of her victory with her grandparents, who were ‘really happy.’ “This is my first MJT and I’m happy,” said Wu.
MJT Girls 15-19: Par 72, Ydg 5279, Slope/Rating 114/71.3
Chelsie Ji, 14, of Coquitlam, BC, clinched the MJT Girls 15-19 title by one stroke. The first-time MJT champion said, “I feel so grateful to MJT, my parents, and my coaches for this.” Ji credits her ‘great course management and 4 birdies in the first 6 holes’ for this win.
MJT Juvenile Boys: Par 72, Ydg 6401, Slope/Rating 123/70.3
At an even par (144), Richard RuoHeng Sun, 16 of Burnaby, BC, solidified his spot as the MJT Juvenile Boys winner. “I feel great! I think one factor to my success is because I’ve been practicing really hard on my flow state (meditating),” he noted. “I would definitely say my shining area today was my mental game.”
MJT Bantam Boys: Par 72, Ydg 6081, Slope/Rating 118/69.3
The MJT Bantam Boys and London Drugs Long Drive winner was Tyson Valk, 14, of North Vancouver, BC, who finished with fantastic scores of 71 and 72. “I feel like the hard work has finally paid off!” stated Valk of his victory.
MJT Peewee Boys: Par 72, Ydg 5279, Slope/Rating 111/66.1
The title of MJT Peewee Boys winner went to Jayden H X Zhu of Surrey, BC, who at only 12 years of age, fired rock-solid rounds of 72 and 73 to finish at one over par (+1). “My putting for these 2 days was really good,” said Zhu. “It was a great experience and it’s just so fun to play these events.”
Qualified Players:
MJT Future Stars presented by ATB: Louis Chun
East Coast Junior Championship: Louis Chun, Richard RuoHeng Sun, and Anna Wu
FCG Callaway World Golf Championship: Jayden H X Zhu, Tyson Valk, Louis Chun, Avva Nguyen, Anna Wu, Chelsie ji
International Junior Masters: Louis Chun
World Stars Golf Championship: Jason Zhang, Matthew Cui, Adrian Roberts, Cassie Chen, Nancy Liu
About adidas Group: The adidas Group is one of the global leaders within the sporting goods industry, offering a broad range of products around the core brands: adidas, Reebok and Reebok-CCM Hockey. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, the Group has more than 53,000 employees.
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