Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

A talent-packed field of 86 junior golfers descended on Okanagan Golf Club in Kelowna, BC, for the MJT Zeal Series presented by RINK Golf Academy, a two-day showcase on Canada’s most competitive junior circuit, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), held July 17–18.

 

Set against the stunning backdrop of tree-lined fairways and rolling terrain, the course proved both scenic and challenging, especially as players contended with spontaneous bouts of hard rain throughout the competition. Handling the rain well, athletes grinded it out for titles in five divisions, fantastic prizes, and coveted qualifying spots in three of MJT’s top international and national opportunities: the Sergio Garcia Junior Championship in Spain, JNJG International Junior Classic in Australia, and the MJT National Tour Challenge in Ontario.

With Zeal Optics returning as a proud longtime partner and RINK Golf Academy making a bold first impression in their MJT debut, the event had no shortage of energy or excitement. Claiming Low Overall Boys and Girls honours, respectively, were DJ Crowe, 17, of Armstrong, BC, in MJT Junior Boys (142) and Doris Xiaotong Liu, 15, of Vancouver, BC, in MJT Girls 15-19 (143). The other division titles were won in style by Kobe Menzies, 15, from Vernon, BC, in MJT Juvenile Boys (153), Velvet Haynes, 13, from Kelowna, BC, in MJT Girls U15 (150), and Parker Andrews, 13, all the way from Fort St. John, BC, in MJT Bantam Boys (143).

Top finisher scores, quotes from the division winners, and the list of qualified and short-listed players can be found below. Results from the Bomber Long Drive, PLYR Closest to the Pin, Booster Juice BounceBack Awards and Academy Points can be found here.  

Up next in the province is the major three-day, WAGR-ranked MJT Odlum Brown Classic at Hazelmere Golf and Tennis Club in Surrey, taking place August 5-7. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, visit www.maplejt.com.

Top Finishers by Division
 

MJT Junior Boys: The Bear: Par 72, Ydg 6481, Slope/Rating 130/70.2

1. DJ Crowe (17), Armstrong, BC | 70, 72 (142)          

2. Tyson Wicklund (17), Vernon, BC | 76, 73 (149)    

3. Spencer Johnston (17), North Vancouver, BC | 76, 74 (150)

In just his second appearance on the MJT, 17-year-old DJ Crowe of Armstrong, BC, delivered an impressive performance to win the MJT Junior Boys division with fantastic rounds of 70 and 72 (142), carding nine birdies over two days. “It feels great,” said Crowe. “It always feels good to win.” When reflecting on the experience, he added that ‘playing with friends and the prizes’ were highlights, and he praised the event by noting, ‘the staff is also amazing.’
 

1. Doris Xiaotong Liu (15), Vancouver, BC | 70, 73 (143)       

2. Ellie Johnson (16), Vernon, BC | 77, 69 (146)

3. Caitlin Pederson (18), Toronto, ON | 74, 79 (153)

Back-to-back MJT victories were on the cards for 15-year-old Doris Xiaotong Liu of Vancouver, BC, who fired excellent rounds of 70 and 73 (143) with nine birdies to top the MJT Girls 15–19 division once again. “I’m so happy to win two MJT tournaments in a row!” she shared, adding a warm ‘thank you for hosting!’ to the MJT team.
 

1. Kobe Menzies (15), Vernon, BC | 78, 75 (153)

2. Cian Thubron (16), Calgary, AB | 76, 78 (154)        

3. Kobe Johnson (15), Quesnel, BC | 80, 76 (156)

Vernon, BC’s Kobe Menzies, age 15, edged out a one-stroke victory in the MJT Juvenile Boys division with solid scores of 78 and 75 (153). “It feels like all my hard work is starting to pay off,” he said, following the win. Menzies also shared that ‘seeing how good the other players are and meeting new people’ is his favourite part of the MJT.
 

1. Velvet Haynes (13), Kelowna, BC | 74, 76 (150)

2. Sophia Sun (13), Burnaby, BC | 89, 95 (184)           

3. Autumn Lapp (14), Kelowna, BC | 95, 95 (190)

Thirteen-year-old Velvet Haynes of Kelowna, BC, capitalized on a strong opening round to vault ahead, continuing her momentum to win the MJT Girls U15 division with strong scores of 74 and 76 (150) including five birdies. She said the win felt ‘great,’ adding, ‘some parts challenged me, but I still pushed through them!’ Haynes also noted her favourite part of the tour is ‘meeting new players and/or seeing players I’ve played with before.’
 

1. Parker Andrews (13), Fort St. John, BC | 70, 73 (143)

2. Dylan Pandher (14), Delta, BC | 72, 75 (147)          

3. Ryan Gibbens (14), North Vancouver, BC | 70, 78 (148)

Parker Andrews, 13, all the way from Fort St. John, BC, shot excellent scores of 70 and 73 (143) to win the MJT Bantam Boys division title by four strokes, collecting six birdies along the way. “It feels good that I won,” he said, adding that his thoughts down the stretch were to ‘stay focused’ and remind himself, ‘I can do this.’ Andrews highlighted ‘the people here and my friends’ as the most enjoyable part of competing on the MJT.

Qualified and Shortlisted Players: 
·MJT Team Canada to JNJG (Australia)

Shortlisted - DJ Crowe

·MJT National Tour Challenge

Boys: Cody MacDougall, Kobe Menzies, DJ Crowe

Girls: Velvet Haynes, Ellie Johnson

·Sergio Garcia Junior Championship

Shortlisted - Boy: DJ Crowe Girl: Doris Xiaotong Liu

About ZEAL Optics: At ZEAL, we build the highest quality eyewear for people like us who live for outdoor adventure. But that is just the beginning of our adventure. We focus on more than just being an eyewear company. We are guided by a simple set of beliefs: Use Less, Give Back, Explore More. Learn more here.

About RINK Golf Academy: The RINK Golf Academy at Predator Ridge is designed for student-athletes in grades 9 to 12 who are serious about developing their golf game alongside their education with the goal of playing collegiate level golf. Built on the same trusted development philosophy behind RINK’s elite hockey academies and programs, our academy supports middle and high school golfers with structured coaching, skill progression pathways, and academic balance top of mind.

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 partners across various tiers, including Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Bronze levels. 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@maplejt.com 
Marketing Manager, MJT