Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

Canada’s leading competitive junior golf circuit, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), brought a stacked field of athletes to compete in a MJT Team Canada to Australia Qualifier at the highly favoured Sawmill Golf Course in Fenwick, Ontario, on July 19-20, where players experienced first-class treatment by the generous Sawmill establishment.

 

With beautiful summer weather and outstanding hospitality setting the stage, a heavily waitlisted group of 19U golfers from across the region competed in six divisions for coveted titles, great prizing, and direct or shortlisted spots in either the major-ranked MJT National Tour Challenge back at Sawmill this September, or the prestigious JNJG International Junior Classic in Australia.

Consistent gameplay resulted in Boys and Girls Low Overall honours for Brennan Turner, 15, of Fenwick, ON, in MJT Juvenile Boys (76-71=147) and Lauren Perron, 16, of Richmond Hill, ON, in MJT Girls 15-19 (77-85=162), respectively. Turner is now shortlisted for a spot on MJT Team Canada to Australia this fall, to compete in the International Junior Golf Classic, the largest junior tournament in the southern hemisphere. The final roster will be announced once all qualifying has completed across the country.

 

Other standout performances leading to division wins were recorded by Kris Gopisetty, 17, from Mississauga, ON, in MJT Junior Boys (151), Mirela Boras, 13, from Burlington, ON, in MJT Girls U15 (168), Landon Friesen, 14, of St. Catharines, ON, in MJT Bantam Boys (153), and Theo Wittemund, 11, of Mississauga, ON, in MJT Peewee Boys (157).

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 waitlisted MJT Humber College PGM Classic at Settler's Ghost Golf Course in Barrie, on July 26-27. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, visit www.maplejt.com.

Top Finishers by Division
 

MJT Junior Boys: Sawmill GC: Par 71, Ydg 6572, Slope/Rating 128/71.8

1. Kris Gopisetty (17), Mississauga, ON | 75, 76 (151)           

2. Will Burleigh (18), Grimsby, ON | 73, 79 (152)       

3. Mason Hamilton (16), Plattsville, ON | 76, 77 (153)

Seventeen-year-old Kris Gopisetty of Mississauga, ON, edged out a one-stroke victory in the MJT Junior Boys division with rounds of 75 and 76 (151). Coming off a win at last weekend’s MJT Elite Series event, Gopisetty showed resilience despite not feeling at his best. “It feels awesome that I won as I wasn't playing my best,” he said. “My favourite part is meeting new people.”
 

1. Lauren Perron (16), Richmond Hill, ON | 77, 85 (162)

2. Sophia Park (16), Mississauga, ON | 92, 81 (173)

3. Minju Kim (15), Toronto, ON | 91, 84 (175)           

3. Rainah Bajwa (16), Oakville, ON | 87, 88 (175)

Lauren Perron, 16, from Richmond Hill, ON, secured top spot in the MJT Girls 15–19 division and Low Overall Girls score with a total of 162 (77, 85). “It feels great to win this tournament! Had a strong opening round, but struggled on the second day,” she stated afterwards. Perron added, “My favourite part about competing on MJT is how there is always more girls to compete against in my division.”

MJT Juvenile Boys: Sawmill GC: Par 71, Ydg 6572, Slope/Rating 128/71.8

1. Brennan Turner (15), Fenwick, ON | 76, 71 (147)  

2. Matthew Gray (16), Beamsville, ON | 75, 73 (148)

3. Ben Julie (16), Fenwick, ON | 75, 76 (151)

Local standout Brennan Turner of Fenwick, ON, brought the MJT Juvenile Boys and Low Overall Boys titles home with an impressive performance, carding 76 and 71 (147) to win by a single shot. The 15-year-old notched seven birdies over two rounds and said, “It feels great. I don't usually play great at this course, so it feels great to finally have a not bad round.” He credited the MJT staff, saying, “My favourite part would be the crew that does a great job running each and every event.”
 

1. Mirela Boras (13), Burlington, ON | 82, 86 (168)    

2. Isla Elbe (13), Oakville, ON | 84, 87 (171)   

3. Karina Patel (14), Milton, ON | 90, 86 (176)           

3. Annie Wang (12), Newmarket, ON | 87, 89 (176)

Thirteen-year-old Mirela Boras of Burlington, ON, made it two straight MJT titles with her win in the MJT Girls U15 division, finishing with scores of 82 and 86 (168). “It feels amazing to win this tournament because I won last week, so I went back-to-back,” said Boras. “There is such amazing competition and all of the staff members are great!”
 

1. Landon Friesen (14), St Catharines, ON | 78, 75 (153)
2. Cristiano Gatto (13), Ancaster, ON | 81, 76 (157)  

3. Ethan Tan (14), Oakville, ON | 83, 76 (159)

St. Catharines’ Landon Friesen, 14, delivered a strong hometown showing to win back-to-back MJT Bantam Boys titles with rounds of 78 and 75 (153), highlighted by five birdies. “Amazing again (to win),” he said. “Home course, making them proud.” As for what keeps him coming back to the MJT, Friesen shared, “The friends and competition are the same.”

MJT Peewee Boys: Sawmill GC: Par 71, Ydg 5189, Slope/Rating 116/65.6

1. Theo Wittemund (11), Mississauga, ON | 78, 79 (157)

2. Jax Vescan (11), Mississauga, ON | 85, 77 (162)

3. Han Wang (11), Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON | 86, 79 (165)

Theo Wittemund, 11, of Mississauga, ON, posted rounds of 78 and 79 (157) in his MJT Junior Tour debut to win the MJT Peewee Boys title. “I feel good, but still could've played better,” he said. “This was my first MJT event, it's run very well. I couldn't thank MJT enough.”

Qualified and Shortlisted Players: 

Brennan Turner (shortlisted)

 

Boys: Eli Perng, Matthew Gray, Will Burleigh

Girls: Isla Elbe, Sophia Park

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