Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

Canada’s leading junior golf circuit, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), brought a waitlisted field of 85 athletes to the tree-lined fairways of Century Pines Golf Club in Troy, ON, for the MJT Zeal Series on August 16–17. This event marked one of five MJT Zeal Series stops nationwide in 2025 and Century Pines’s mix of risk-reward holes and challenging greens provided the perfect stage as players competed in six divisions for hardware, stylish Zeal Optics eyewear prizing, and MJT order of merit points towards spots into the 27th annual MJT National Championship presented by adidas Golf at Orange Lake Resort in Florida this November.

 

Breakthrough wins for first-time MJT Junior Tour title holders were recorded in every division. Low Overall Honours for boys and girls respectively went to Edward Li, 16, of Markham, ON, winner of MJT Juvenile Boys (73-73=146) and Chloe Hassberger, 15, of Minesing, ON, winner of MJT Girls 15-19 (76-77=153). Other first place podium finishes were recorded by Nate Taylor, 17, from Guelph, ON, in MJT Junior Boys (147), Sarang (Sally) Kim, 11, from Hamilton, ON, in MJT Girls 15U (155), Hudson Lockwood, 13, of Oakville, ON, in MJT Bantam Boys (153), and Jax Vescan, 11, of Mississauga, ON, in MJT Peewee Boys (161).

Quotes from the division winners and top finisher scores 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 wait-listed MJT Order of Merit Series at Lakeridge Links Golf Club in Brooklin on August 23-24. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, visit www.maplejt.com.

Top Finishers by Division
 

MJT Junior Boys: Century Pines: Par 72, Ydg 6605, Slope/Rating 128/71.6

1. Nate Taylor (17), Guelph, ON | 69, 78 (147)

2. Andrew Burciul (17), Thorold, ON | 78, 70 (148)    

3. Josh Ye (17), Markham, ON | 77, 73 (150)

3. Evan Morris (18), Millgrove, ON | 72, 78 (150)      

Nate Taylor, 17, of Guelph, ON, stormed out of the gate with a 69 in round one, setting a strong lead heading into day two. Despite a tougher closing round, his 69-78 (147) total held up for his first MJT Junior Boys title, a total highlighted by seven birdies and an eagle. “Amazing, no better feeling,” said Taylor about his win. “All the work I’ve put in has helped. The MJT is competitive, yet fun. Very well managed and done. Thank you so much for this experience.”
 

1. Chloe Hassberger (15), Minesing, ON | 76, 77 (153)

2. Lauren Perron (16), Richmond Hill, ON | 83, 76 (159)        

3. Emma Hsiung (15), Markham, ON | 89, 82 (171)

Minesing’s Chloe Hassberger, just 15, celebrated her first MJT victory in only her fourth career event, winning the MJT Girls 15-19 title. With strong and steady rounds of 76 and 77 (153), Hassberger kept her composure without checking where her competitors stood. “It feels really good! This is my first win on the MJT, so really exciting,” she said. “I had no idea where my fellow competitors were score-wise, so I could only think about how I manage to tackle my final hole. The competition challenges me, and overall, I’m just happy to be here.”

MJT Juvenile Boys: Century Pines: Par 72, Ydg 6605, Slope/Rating 128/71.6

1. Edward Li (16), Markham, ON | 73, 73 (146)

2. Owen Herrington (16), Waterdown, ON | 75, 72 (147)      

3. Eddie Lindemann (15), Cambridge, ON | 78, 73 (151)       

Markham’s Edward Li, 16, edged out the field for his first MJT Juvenile Boys title by a single stroke with great back-to-back rounds of 73 (146), bolstered by six birdies across the weekend. “I feel quite good about playing well after missing some cuts and generally not playing well in my last four tournaments,” he shared. “The staff is always friendly, and I really enjoy playing with my friends also. The events are well organized, and the pace is also good, so I’m not playing 5-hour rounds.” 
 

1. Sarang (Sally) Kim (11), South Korea | 76, 79 (155)          

2. Sophia Noh (11), Richmond Hill, ON | 79, 77 (156)

2. Isla Elbe (14), Oakville, ON | 77, 79 (156)

At only 11 years old, South Korea’s Sally Kim carded 76 and 79 (155) to capture the MJT Girls U15 title by a single shot in her very first MJT outing. “I feel really happy and proud,” Kim said. “My favourite part was playing with other good Canadian junior players and learning from them since I am from South Korea. Thank you, it was really fun.”
 

1. Hudson Lockwood (13), Oakville, ON | 79, 74 (153)           

2. Jack Vitiello (14), St. Catherines, ON |78, 77 (155)

3. Oliver Watt (14), Brodhagen, ON | 75, 84 (159)

Oakville’s Hudson Lockwood, 13, closed with a clutch 74 after an opening 79 to win his first MJT title in the Bantam Boys division with a total of 153. “Winning this tournament meant a lot because it is my last one of the season,” Lockwood explained. “My favourite part of the MJT is meeting new friends and making lasting friendships.”

 

1. Jax Vescan (11), Mississauga, ON | 82, 79 (161)

2. Gwanwoo (Kris) Ko (12), Hamilton, ON | 77, 86 (163)        

3. Dominic Laporte (11), South Woodslee, ON | 91, 87 (178)

Eleven-year-old Jax Vescan of Mississauga, ON, earned his first Junior Tour title after firing rounds of 82 and 79 (161) to secure the MJT Peewee Boys division win. “It feels great to win on the Junior Tour for the first time,” said Vescan. “It is very competitive and fun.”
 

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 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