Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

Canada’s leading junior golf circuit, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), teed up another waitlisted field in the MJT Order of Merit Series hosted at Lakeridge Links Golf Club in Brooklin, ON, over August 23-24. Known for its rolling fairways, elevation changes, and scenic views of the Oak Ridges Moraine, Lakeridge set a championship-worthy stage for a strong field of 19U golfers competing across six divisions. Players battled for titles, coveted crystal trophies, and valuable Order of Merit points in the race to qualify for the 27th annual MJT National Championship presented by adidas Golf at Orange Lake Resort in Florida this November.

The stacked field of over 80 athletes yielded some impressive scores, with plenty of attention going to both Adrianna Salalila, 16, of Peterborough, ON, in MJT Girls 15-19, who fired a impressive four-under par 68 in round one to end up winning her division title along with Girls Low Overall Honours (68-78=146), and to Justin Chu, 15, of North York, ON, who won Low Overall Boy Honours along with the MJT Juvenile Boys title (74-71=145).

Other fine performances leading to division wins were recorded by Maxwell Harrison, 17, of Burlington, ON, in MJT Junior Boys (72-74=146), Audrina Lau, 13, of Toronto, ON, in MJT Girls U15 (78-77=155), Harry Leopold, 14, of Toronto, ON, in MJT Bantam Boys (74-72=146), and Jax Vescan, 11, of Mississauga, ON, in MJT Peewee Boys (82-83=165).

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 Order of Merit Series at FireRock Golf Club in Komoka on September 6-7. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, visit www.maplejt.com.

Top Finishers by Division
 

MJT Junior Boys: Lakeridge Links: Par 72, Ydg 6520, Slope/Rating 131/72.4

1. Maxwell Harrison (17), Burlington, ON | 72, 74 (146)

2. Kris Gopisetty (17), Mississauga, ON | 78, 75 (153)           

3. Owen Marsella (18), Aurora, ON | 78, 76 (154)

Burlington’s Maxwell Harrison, 17, fired excellent rounds of 72 and 74 (146) including six birdies on the weekend to capture the MJT Junior Boys title. “It feels great, I hit the ball well,” he said, adding that his favourite parts of the MJT are ‘the environment, the staff, and how the tournament is run.’
 

1. Adrianna Salalila (16), Peterborough, ON | 68, 78 (146)

2. Ayda Matthews (17), Peterborough, ON | 79, 77 (156)     

3. Sadie Westfall (16), Oshawa, ON | 81, 77 (158)

Adrianna Salalila, a 16-year-old from Peterborough, ON, opened with a brilliant 4-under 68 en route to shooting 146 (68-78), highlighted by nine birdies across 36 holes, for top spot in the MJT Girls 15-19 division. “As this is my first MJT tournament this season, I am pleased to bring this win home,” she stated. She also noted, “My favourite part were the kind staff and familiar faces.”

MJT Juvenile Boys: Lakeridge Links: Par 72, Ydg 6520, Slope/Rating 131/72.4

1. Justin Chu (15), North York, ON | 74, 71 (145)

2. Ethan Ouellette (15), Uxbridge, ON | 71, 75 (146)

3. Matthew Gray (16), Beamsville, ON | 74, 74 (148)

North York’s Justin Chu carded 74-71 (145) including six birdies to edge out a stellar victory in the MJT Juvenile Boys division. The 15-year-old said, “I feel pretty happy to win this tournament,” citing ‘having fun challenges during the tournament’ as his highlight, and praising the MJT as a ‘well run and organized event.’
 

1. Audrina Lau (13), Toronto, ON | 78, 77 (155)         

2. Aaliyah Patterson (12), Toronto, ON | 78, 79 (157)            

2. Eliana Rabo (14), Maple, ON | 78, 79 (157)

Toronto’s Audrina Lau fired solid rounds of 78 and 77 (155), securing the tightly contested MJT Girls U15 title by two strokes over a tie for second. The 13-year-old celebrated by saying, “It feels nice since this was my first junior tournament win.” She added, “My favourite part would be the people that I play with and how fast the rounds have been going.”
 

MJT Bantam Boys: Lakeridge Links: Par 72, Ydg 6041, Slope/Rating 124/70.2

1. Harry Leopold (14), Toronto, ON | 74, 72 (146)

2. Michael Jeffery (14), Whitby, ON | 77, 72 (149)     

2. Thomas Tsepelis (14), Whitby, ON | 75, 74 (149)   

2. Grady Gouett (14), Meaford, ON | 74, 75 (149)

With great scores of 74 and 72 (146), 14-year-old Harry Leopold of Toronto finished three shots clear of a three-way tie for second to claim a hard-fought-for MJT Bantam Boys title. “It feels good to have all your hard work give you a win,” he said, stating ‘the ability to compete with players at a high level’ as his favourite part of the MJT.

 

1. Jax Vescan (11), Mississauga, ON | 82, 83 (165)

2. Dominic Laporte (11), South Woodslee, ON | 87, 94 (181)

Mississauga’s Jax Vescan, age 11, carded 82 and 83 (165) to take home his second consecutive MJT Peewee Boys title. “It feels amazing to win twice in a row,” he shared. He added, “I like how it is very well run and competitive.”

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