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The Road to College Golf, run exclusively by PGA ProfessionalsPress Release
May 24-25, 2025
Springfield, ON
Kowalyshyn and Wen win low overall in MJT’s U.S. Performance Academy Series at Tarandowah
A full field of young golfers teed it up on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), Canada’s leading junior golf tour, at Tarandowah Golfers Club in Springfield, ON, this past weekend, competing in the MJT U.S. Performance Academy (USPA) Series, the first of two events in a new national partnership with USPA, an online school for elite athletes.
Set against the rugged beauty of Tarandowah’s authentic links-style layout, reminiscent of classic courses in Scotland and Ireland, players battled blustery winds and firm conditions as they competed for titles in six divisions and qualifying spots in the East Coast Junior Championship in New Brunswick, the Jack Newton Junior Golf (JNJG) International Junior Classic in Australia, and the MJT National Tour Challenge in Ontario.
Matt Bashaw of U.S. Performance Academy was onsite throughout the weekend, connecting with athletes and their families to share more about USPA’s flexible online education model, designed specifically for student-athletes.
Low Overall Honours for boys and girls respectively were won by Eric Wen, 17, of Waterloo, ON, in MJT Junior Boys (77-70=147) and Sierra Kowalyshyn, 16, of Stoney Creek, ON, in MJT Girls 15-19 (71-75=146). Other strong performances despite the windy conditions led to division wins for Hudson Kelahear, 15, of Etobicoke, ON, in MJT Juvenile Boys (77-76=153), Grace (HyunYi) Kim, 13, from Oakville, ON, in MJT Girls U15 (79-76=155), Grady Gouett, 14, from Meaford, ON, in MJT Bantam Boys (79-79=158), and Max Sue, 12, from Markham, ON, in MJT Peewee Boys (78-73=151).
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.
The next event in the province is the wait listed MJT Maui Jim Series at Rebel Creek Golf Club in Petersburg, taking place June 7-8. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, visit www.maplejt.com.
Low Overall Honours for boys and girls respectively were won by Eric Wen, 17, of Waterloo, ON, in MJT Junior Boys (77-70=147) and Sierra Kowalyshyn, 16, of Stoney Creek, ON, in MJT Girls 15-19 (71-75=146). Other strong performances despite the windy conditions led to division wins for Hudson Kelahear, 15, of Etobicoke, ON, in MJT Juvenile Boys (77-76=153), Grace (HyunYi) Kim, 13, from Oakville, ON, in MJT Girls U15 (79-76=155), Grady Gouett, 14, from Meaford, ON, in MJT Bantam Boys (79-79=158), and Max Sue, 12, from Markham, ON, in MJT Peewee Boys (78-73=151).
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.
The next event in the province is the wait listed MJT Maui Jim Series at Rebel Creek Golf Club in Petersburg, taking place June 7-8. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, visit www.maplejt.com.
Top Finishers by Division
MJT Junior Boys: Tarandowah GC: Par 70, Ydg 6622, Slope/Rating 129/72.2
MJT Junior Boys: Tarandowah GC: Par 70, Ydg 6622, Slope/Rating 129/72.2
1. Eric Wen (17), Waterloo, ON | 77, 70 (147)
2. Nate Ditto (17), St. Catharines, ON | 72, 79 (151)
3. Luke Readings (17), London, ON | 76, 77 (153)
Eric Wen of Waterloo, ON, stormed back in round two with a seven-stroke improvement, firing a 70 to finish at 147 and take the MJT Junior Boys title, a long-awaited breakthrough. The 17-year-old, whose final scorecard included six birdies, said, “Feels good to finally win after many years. It was a great event and well organized.”
Eric Wen of Waterloo, ON, stormed back in round two with a seven-stroke improvement, firing a 70 to finish at 147 and take the MJT Junior Boys title, a long-awaited breakthrough. The 17-year-old, whose final scorecard included six birdies, said, “Feels good to finally win after many years. It was a great event and well organized.”
MJT Girls 15-19: Tarandowah GC: Par 70, Ydg 5402, Slope/Rating 124/71.6
1. Sierra Kowalyshyn (16), Stoney Creek, ON | 71, 75 (146)
2. Francesca Ampil (16), Brampton, ON | 74, 80 (154)
3. Gracie Vescan (15), Mississauga, ON | 76, 85 (161)
Sierra Kowalyshyn, 16, from Stoney Creek, ON, captured her second MJT win of the season after firing rounds of 71 and 75 (146), including four birdies; a composed finish in the gusting winds. “I’m super excited for my second win of the season,” she said. “I was glad I was able to hit some good shots in the windy weather.” She also praised the team behind the scenes: “These events are run really well and the MJT staff make sure that every tournament is great.”
Sierra Kowalyshyn, 16, from Stoney Creek, ON, captured her second MJT win of the season after firing rounds of 71 and 75 (146), including four birdies; a composed finish in the gusting winds. “I’m super excited for my second win of the season,” she said. “I was glad I was able to hit some good shots in the windy weather.” She also praised the team behind the scenes: “These events are run really well and the MJT staff make sure that every tournament is great.”
MJT Juvenile Boys: Tarandowah GC: Par 70, Ydg 6622, Slope/Rating 129/72.2
1. Hudson Kelahear (15), Etobicoke, ON | 77, 76 (153)
2. Luca Berardeau (16), Toronto, ON | 75, 79 (154)
3. Callum McDonald (15), Mount Forest, ON | 80, 75 (155)
Hudson Kelahear of Etobicoke, ON, edged the field by a single stroke to claim the MJT Juvenile Boys title with rounds of 77 and 76 (153), including four birdies. The 15-year-old called it ‘a gritty win,’ saying, “There was a lot of wind, and it was a tough course. I feel great winning after just coming off a CISAA golf medal earlier this week.” He added, “I just want to thank everyone for their effort — especially Dave and the MJT team for putting together a great event.”
MJT Girls U15: Tarandowah GC: Par 70, Ydg 5402, Slope/Rating 124/71.6
Hudson Kelahear of Etobicoke, ON, edged the field by a single stroke to claim the MJT Juvenile Boys title with rounds of 77 and 76 (153), including four birdies. The 15-year-old called it ‘a gritty win,’ saying, “There was a lot of wind, and it was a tough course. I feel great winning after just coming off a CISAA golf medal earlier this week.” He added, “I just want to thank everyone for their effort — especially Dave and the MJT team for putting together a great event.”
MJT Girls U15: Tarandowah GC: Par 70, Ydg 5402, Slope/Rating 124/71.6
1. Grace (HyunYi) Kim (13), Oakville, ON | 79, 76 (155)
2. Eliana Rabo (13), Maple, ON | 84, 80 (164)
3. Angelina He (11), Toronto, ON | 80, 86 (166)
Grace (HyunYi) Kim, 13, of Oakville, ON, made it back-to-back MJT victories, running away with the MJT Girls U15 title by nine strokes after posting scores of 79 and 76 (155), with four birdies along the way. “It feels really good, not just because I won, but because I reached the total goal of the rounds,” said Kim. “MJT is such a good event to play as a Junior — have this program as long as possible!”
Grace (HyunYi) Kim, 13, of Oakville, ON, made it back-to-back MJT victories, running away with the MJT Girls U15 title by nine strokes after posting scores of 79 and 76 (155), with four birdies along the way. “It feels really good, not just because I won, but because I reached the total goal of the rounds,” said Kim. “MJT is such a good event to play as a Junior — have this program as long as possible!”
MJT Bantam Boys: Tarandowah GC: Par 70, Ydg 6231, Slope/Rating 125/70.1
1. Grady Gouett (14), Meaford, ON | 79, 79 (158)
2. Dustin Zhao (13), Maple, ON | 76, 83 (159)
3. Jack Vitiello (14), St. Catherines, ON | 83, 79 (162)
Grady Gouett of Meaford, ON, recorded his second MJT win of the season with back-to-back rounds of 79-79 (158), holding strong to edge out victory in the MJT Bantam Boys division. The 14-year-old said, “It feels great, big bounce back on the back nine,” and summed up the weekend’s event with, ‘greatly run!’
MJT Peewee Boys: Tarandowah GC: Par 70, Ydg 5402, Slope/Rating 116/66.2
Grady Gouett of Meaford, ON, recorded his second MJT win of the season with back-to-back rounds of 79-79 (158), holding strong to edge out victory in the MJT Bantam Boys division. The 14-year-old said, “It feels great, big bounce back on the back nine,” and summed up the weekend’s event with, ‘greatly run!’
MJT Peewee Boys: Tarandowah GC: Par 70, Ydg 5402, Slope/Rating 116/66.2
1. Max Sue (12), Markham, ON | 78, 73 (151)
2. Jax Vescan (11), Mississauga, ON | 76, 76 (152)
3. Derek Zhao (11), Maple, ON | 85, 74 (159)
Max Sue, 12, of Markham, ON, secured his second consecutive win on the MJT after carding solid scores of 78 and 73 (151), rolling in five birdies and showing consistent form. When asked what contributed to his success, he kept it simple: “practice, hard work, and sleep.” As for the event? “It is really good.”
Max Sue, 12, of Markham, ON, secured his second consecutive win on the MJT after carding solid scores of 78 and 73 (151), rolling in five birdies and showing consistent form. When asked what contributed to his success, he kept it simple: “practice, hard work, and sleep.” As for the event? “It is really good.”
Qualified and Shortlisted Players:
JNJG (Australia) *Short-listed players:
Eric Wen and Hudson Kelahear
East Coast Junior
Boys: Jax Vescan, Dustin Zhao, Hudson Kelahear and Eric Wen
Girls: Eliana Rabo and Francesca Ampil
MJT National Tour Challenge
Boys: Dustin Zhao, Hudson Kelahear and Eric Wen
Girls: Eliana Rabo and Francesca Ampil
About U.S. Performance Academy: About US Performance Academy: USPA is the online school for elite athletes. Whether you’re training at home or traveling to tournaments around the world, USPA’s flexible and personalized approach enables your student to receive an excellent education while pursuing their goals. Our streamlined, supportive learning environment is tailored to student-athletes, and with USPA’s rolling admissions, your student can enroll and begin at any time.
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
Marketing Manager, MJT