Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

Canada’s leading competitive junior golf tour, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), visited Saskatoon on July 28-29 to host the highly anticipated MJT Maui Jim Series at Moon Lake Golf and Country Club. The heavily waitlisted field of 118 talented 19U athletes were competing across six divisions for division titles, sleek Maui Jim sunglasses for the six champions, and qualifying opportunities for two major events, the Sergio Garcia Junior Championship in Spain and the MJT National Tour Challenge in Ontario.

 

Set on Moon Lake’s beautiful tree-lined layout, the action-packed two-day tournament marked one of six in a national series proudly supported by Maui Jim, a valued MJT partner helping shape the next generation of standout golfers.

An ace on the par 3 fourth hole by MJT Juvenile division competitor, Brett Ackerman of Meadow Lake, SK, delivered one of the most memorable moments of the tournament on day one. Other standout performances, leading to Low Overall Honours for boys and girls respectively, were recorded by Ethan Hunter, 15, of Saskatoon, SK, in MJT Juvenile Boys, who dominated the second round with a seven-under-par 65 (74-65=139), and Tayla Perry, 16, of Regina, SK, in MJT Girls 15-19 (77-78=155).

Additional division titles were awarded to Lincoln Rogers, 17, from Prince Albert, SK, in MJT Junior Boys (142), Alyxa Melsted, 12, from Wynyard, SK, in MJT Girls U15 (166), Austin Nesbitt, 14, of Pilot Butte, SK, in MJT Bantam Boys (140), and Hudson Deibert, 10, of Regina, SK, in MJT Peewee Boys (150).      

 

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 MJT PLYR Series at Elk Ridge Resort in Waskesiu, SK, on August 9-10. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, visit www.maplejt.com.

Top Finishers by Division
 

1. Lincoln Rogers (17), Prince Albert, SK | 70, 72 (142)

2. Brady Guenther (17), Saskatoon, SK | 74, 70 (144)

3. Preston Buchner (18), Saskatoon, SK | 73, 72 (145)

Lincoln Rogers, 17, of Prince Albert, SK, notched his first MJT win after shooting excellent rounds of 70 and 72 (142), firing nine birdies over two days. “It feels good for my first win,” he said. When asked about the overall experience, Rogers summed it up simply: “It was awesome.”
 

1. Tayla Perry (16), Regina, SK | 77, 78 (155)

2. Sarah Henderson (17), Saskatoon, SK | 80, 78 (158)          

3. Claire Kosolofski (16), Kindersley, SK | 78, 83 (161)

Tayla Perry, a 16-year-old from Regina, SK, took the MJT Girls 15-19 title by three strokes with rock solid rounds of 77 and 78 (155). “It feels great to win right before going into nationals,” she said. “My favourite part is playing different courses and meeting new people.”
 

1. Ethan Hunter (15), Saskatoon, SK | 74, 65 (139)    

2. Matty Schmiess (15), Swift Current, SK | 71, 70 (141)       

3. Shae Maunula (15), North Battleford, SK | 70, 73 (143)

With a stunning second-round 65, 15-year-old Ethan Hunter of Saskatoon, SK, stormed back to win the MJT Juvenile Boys division with an impressive two-day total of 139. His card featured eight birdies and an eagle, and he improved by nine strokes from round one. “It feels really good to come out with a win this week,” said Hunter. “This win means a lot and gives me a little boost of confidence going into the next tournament.” He added, “My favourite part is the community of people and competing with all those great golfers.”
 

1. Alyxa Melsted (12), Wynyard, SK | 86, 80 (166)

2. Natalie Maunula (13), North Battleford, SK | 90, 84 (174)

3. Callie Glover (13), Foam Lake, SK | 104, 100 (204)

Twelve-year-old Alyxa Melsted of Wynyard, SK, showed resilience en route to winning the MJT Girls U15 title, carding rounds of 86 and 80 (166). “(It feels) good, there were some ups and downs, but I pushed through and won,” she said. Reflecting on her mindset, she added, “Placement is key and finish the round good.”
 

1. Austin Nesbitt (14), Pilot Butte, SK | 68, 72 (140)  

2. Cole Yurchak (14), Wainwright, AB | 74, 68 (142)  

2. Keaton Kreklewich (13), Melville, SK | 70, 72 (142)

Austin Nesbitt, 14, of Pilot Butte, SK, went low with fantastic rounds of 68 and 72 (140), racking up 11 birdies to claim the MJT Bantam Boys title. “Everything is great, 10/10, perfect weather,” he summed up, adding that what he enjoys about the MJT most is ‘having friends I can play with throughout the summer and all the competition with others.’

MJT Peewee Boys: Moon Lake: Par 72, Ydg 5147, Slope/Rating 110/65.9

1. Hudson Deibert (10), Regina, SK | 76, 74 (150)      

2. Cohen Bridge (11), Corman Park, SK | 83, 85 (168)            

3. Jett Holcomb (12), Saskatoon, SK | 89, 100 (189)

Ten-year-old Hudson Deibert of Regina, SK, continued to impress with rounds of 76 and 74 (150) to run away with the MJT Peewee Boys title. “It feels good to win because I have been practicing so hard,” he shared. “It was a good event and it was a 10/10.”

Qualified and Shortlisted Players: 
MJT National Tour Challenge

Boys: Cole Yurchak, Ethan Hunter, Lincoln Rogers

Girls: Claire Kosolofski

Sergio Garcia Junior Championship

Boy: Ethan Hunter - shortlisted

Girl: Tayla Perry - shortlisted

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