Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

From August 5^th to 7th, over 100 athletes on Canada’s leading competitive junior tour, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), descended on Olds Golf Club in Olds, AB, for the MJT Ford Series, a MJT Elite Series tournament with WAGR rankings, AJGA PBE Stars and bonus MJT Order of Merit points. Players vied in six divisions for titles and exceptional prizing in the race to qualify for the 27th annual MJT National Championship presented by adidas Golf in Florida this November, all while taking their shot at a brand-new Ford Escape in an exciting Ford Hole-in-One Contest.
 

Known for its scenic parkland layout and challenging greens, the course provided the perfect stage for the talented 19U athletes to compete over three days in this major-ranked tournament. Highlights included a tense playoff battle between Bennett Love, 14, of Red Deer, AB, and Benson White, 15, of Calgary, AB, in the MJT Bantam Boys division, after both golfers finished regulation tied at 222. Love sealed the win on the second extra hole with steady nerves and clutch play.

Low Overall honours for Girls and Boys respectively went to 19-year-old Jayla Kucy of Camrose, AB, and 17-year-old Brae Rogalczyk of Innisfail, AB. Kucy closed out her MJT career on a win, firing excellent rounds of 71, 72, and 74 (217) to take the MJT Girls 15–19 division title in a fitting and memorable finale for an athlete whose family has been passionate supporters of the tour for over 13 years. Rogalczyk, whose family are also long-time supporters of the MJT, set the tone early in the MJT Junior Boys division with a blistering 5-under-par 67 in round one, backing it up with scores of 71 and 73 (211) to seal victory.

Other standout performances leading to division wins were seen by Danika Horcica, 13, from Edmonton, AB, in MJT Girls U15 (77-72-72=221), Christian Leung, 14, from Calgary, AB, in MJT Bantam Boys (74-77-79=230), and Niko Tran, 12, from Calgary, AB, in MJT Peewee Boys (81-79-77=237).                      
            
Top finisher scores and quotes from the division winners 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 waitlisted MJT Edge School Summer Classic at Mickelson National Golf Club in Calgary on August 11-12. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, visit www.maplejt.com.

Top Finishers by Division
 

MJT Junior Boys: Olds GC: Par 72, Ydg 6528, Slope/Rating 132/71.2

1. Brae Rogalczyk (17), Innisfail, AB | 67, 71, 73 (211)           

2. Sam Cook (16), Calgary, AB | 75, 67, 70 (212)

3. Zaiden Dennis (18), Calgary, AB | 74, 68, 76 (218)

Innisfail, Alberta’s Brae Rogalczyk fired rounds of 67, 71, and 73 (211) to edge the field by a single stroke and claim his fourth MJT Junior Boys title of the season. The 17-year-old lit up the leaderboard with 15 birdies and an eagle over three days in a confident, composed performance.
 

1. Jayla Kucy (19), Camrose, AB | 71, 72, 74 (217)

2. Mataya Hampson (17), Rocky View County, AB | 81, 75, 79 (235)

3. Kate Pettersen (18), Foothills, AB | 80, 88, 78 (246)

Capping off her MJT career in style, Camrose’s Jayla Kucy shot 71, 72, and 74 (217) including 12 birdies and an eagle to win the MJT Girls 15-19 division. The 19-year-old has been a fixture on the tour for many years, with her family actively supporting the MJT throughout. “It feels great!” she said. “A mix of emotions because it is my last junior tournament. So it was bitter sweet because I've been playing this tour for 13 years.”
 

1. Bennett Love (14), Red Deer, AB | 71, 79, 72 (222) *Won Playoff

2. Benson White (15), Calgary, AB | 72, 72, 78 (222)

3. Mike Bosanko (16), Cochrane, AB | 73, 73, 77 (223)

Fourteen-year-old Bennett Love of Red Deer, AB, rallied with a final-round 72 to force a playoff against Calgary’s Benson White, ultimately clinching the MJT Juvenile Boys title on the second extra hole. Love’s card featured seven birdies and an eagle. “It feels great to come from behind and win,” he shared, adding, “Great competition every week.”
 

1. Danika Horcica (13), Edmonton, AB | 77, 72, 72 (221)       

2. Sedona Weitz (12), Foothills M.D., AB | 76, 74, 75 (225)   

3. Kaleia Kurylo (13), Edmonton, AB | 74, 79, 75 (228)

Edmonton’s Danika Horcica, 13, carded rounds of 77, 72, and 72 (221) to secure the MJT Girls U15 title, highlighted by eight birdies. “I am very happy to win this tournament as it was a big one for me,” she said. “My favourite part is the different courses we get to play and the people I get to play with. MJT always puts on a great event at very nice courses.”
 

1. Christian Leung (14), Calgary, AB | 74, 77, 79 (230)           

2. Edwin Park (12), Bentley, AB | 80, 77, 76 (233)

3. Brody Black (14), Chestermere, AB | 79, 74, 84 (237)

Christian Leung, a 14-year-old from Calgary, AB, posted scores of 74, 77, and 79 (230) to win the MJT Bantam Boys division. “It feels really great to win. It feels great knowing hours of work paid off,” he said. Leung admitted his thoughts down the stretch weren’t entirely about golf: “I was thinking ‘I want pizza,’ and thankfully there was pizza,’ thanks to valued MJT partner, Panago Pizza.

MJT Peewee Boys: Olds GC: Par 72, Ydg 5015, Slope/Rating 112/66.2

1. Niko Tran (12), Calgary, AB | 81, 79, 77 (237)        

2. Jaxon Rogalczyk (11), Innisfail, AB | 79, 82, 78 (239)

Calgary’s Niko Tran, 12, carded 81, 79, and 77 (237) to claim the MJT Peewee Boys title by two strokes. When asked how it felt, his answer was simple: “Great.” His favourite part of the tour? “They are really fun to play in.”

About Ford Canada: Ford of Canada and the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) are proud to continue with the successful MJT Ford Go Golf! Junior Clinics - an initiative that introduces golf for free to young people, teaching them a game they can benefit from their entire lives. Many thousands of kids have participated in this program since 2006. Clinics have been held in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan where participating Ford Dealers offer free MJT Ford Go Golf! Junior Clinics conducted by PGA of Canada Professionals to children in their community. Ford and the Ford Dealers Association wish to support amateur sport in their communities by introducing children to golf, encouraging them to learn the fundamentals, and rewarding them for their efforts.

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