Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

A field of 90 rising stars, aged 6 to 12, were booked to tee off at Tsawwassen Springs Golf Course in Tsawwassen, BC, on April 12, for the MJT Mini Tour’s Junior Worlds Qualifier on Canada’s #1 Junior Golf Tour, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT). Major qualifying spots were up for grabs. Division winners secured spots in the MJT Mini Tour National Championship, also set to take place in Tsawwassen later this season, and the Boys and Girls 8U and 9-10 champions qualified for the highly anticipated Uswing Mojing Junior World Golf Championship in San Diego, California, this July.

 

In addition, top finishers in each division who have not already qualified punched their tickets to the MJT Mini Tour Order of Merit Invitational, coming up May 24 at Quilchena Golf and Country Club in Richmond, BC — a high-stakes event showcasing some of the brightest young talent in Canadian junior golf.
 

Competing in six age divisions, the young athletes faced challenging winds and tough pin placements that tested every part of their game. One of the most exciting storylines came in the MJT Boys 9-10 Division, where Zhongjun Daniel Qi of Surrey, BC, and Raymond Wang of Bothell, WA, both 10, finished tied at 69. After remaining deadlocked through three playoff holes, the pair were both declared winners in a thrilling and hard-fought finish. 

Other strong performances led to division wins for Minxing Matt Li, 12, of Surrey, BC, in MJT Boys 11-12 (71), Avery McAbee, 12, from Mission, BC, in MJT Girls 11-12 (74), Grace Yuemeng Wu, 9, from Richmond, BC, in MJT Girls 9-10 (72), Sawyer Morrow, 6, of Vancouver, BC, in MJT Boys 8U (81), and Yoyo Zhang in a countback over Chloe He, both aged 8 and from Richmond, BC, in the MJT Girls 8U (75).

Quotes from the division winners, top finisher scores and the list of qualified players are detailed below. Full results, as well as winners of the Closest-to-the-Pin and Long Drive competitions, are posted on the MJT website here.
 

The next MJT Mini Tour event in the province is the waitlisted MJT Mini Tour at Musqueam Golf Course in Vancouver, BC, on June 7. For more information, or to view upcoming British Columbia MJT Mini Tour schedule, please visit www.maplejt.com.

 

Top Finishers by Division
 

1. Minxing Matt Li (12), Surrey, BC | 72 

2. Kingston Ji (12), Coquitlam, BC | 75 

3. Bentley Hoogerdyk (11), Victoria, BC | 77

3. Matthew Liang (10), Vancouver, BC | 77

Minxing Matt Li, 12, of Surrey, BC, shot 72 with two birdies to lead the Boys 11-12 Division by three strokes. “I prepared for this season by upgrading my clubs and going to the range,” he shared.
 

1. Avery McAbee (12), Mission, BC | 74 

2. Tiffany Rao (11), Vancouver, BC | 77
2. Victoria Shen (10), Surrey, BC | 77 
 

12-year-old Avery McAbee of Mission, BC, fired a 74 with two birdies to win the Girls 11-12 Division after earning a spot off the waitlist. “I rate the tournament 10/10 because they are always set up well and I came here not knowing if I was going to play, and I ended up winning!” she said.

MJT Boys 9-10: Tsawwassen Springs: Par 70, Ydg 4010, Slope/Rating 97/61.1

1. Zhongjun Daniel Qi (10), Surrey, BC | 69 *Tied

1. Raymond Wang (10), Bothell, WA | 69 *Tied
2. Ethan Jiang (8), Vancouver, BC | 72 

2. Johnny Wang (10), Vancouver, BC | 72 

Ten-year-olds Zhongjun Daniel Qi of Surrey, BC, and Raymond Wang of Bothell, WA, lit up the leaderboard with matching 69s, each carding five birdies in the Boys 9-10 Division. The pair remained tied after three playoff holes, ultimately sharing the top spot in one of the most thrilling finishes of the day.

MJT Girls 9-10: Tsawwassen Springs: Par 70, Ydg 4010, Slope/Rating 102/63.0
1. Grace Yuemeng Wu (9), Richmond, BC | 72

2. Luna Zhou (10), Vancouver, BC | 77

3. Stella Sun (9), White Rock, BC | 79

Grace Yuemeng Wu, 9, of Richmond, BC, rolled in three birdies on her way to a smooth 72 in the Girls 9-10 Division. When asked who helped her get there, she kept it short and sweet: “My coach and my dad.” A winning combo.

 

1. Sawyer Morrow (6), Vancouver, BC | 81

2. Brayden Chen (7), Vancouver, BC | 85

3. Brian Wang (8), Vancouver, BC | 87
 

Sawyer Morrow, a 6-year-old from Vancouver, BC, proved once again why he’s the reigning 2024 MJT Mini Tour Order of Merit BC Division champion, firing an 81 with two birdies to capture the Boys 8U Division by four strokes. With another standout performance, Morrow continues to shine as one of the youngest players on the Mini Tour.
 

MJT Girls 8U: Tsawwassen Springs: Par 65, Ydg 3000, Slope/Rating 0/0.0 *Played 17 holes 
1. Yoyo Zhang (8), Richmond, BC | 75 *Won countback
2. Chloe He (8), Richmond, BC | 75 

3. Paris Liu (7), Richmond, BC | 85 

Eight-year-old Yoyo Zhang from Richmond, BC, fresh off a division win at the MJT Mini Tour OOM Invitational at Richmond Country Club on March 26, captured the Girls 8U Division title via countback after tying with a score of 75 in a shortened 17-hole battle with fellow Richmond-resident, Chloe He. 
 

Qualified Players: 
Uswing Mojing Junior World Golf Championship
Boys 8U: Sawyer Morrow

Boys 9-10: Zhongjun Daniel Qi 

Girls 8U: Chloe He

Girls 9-10: Grace Yuemeng Wu

MJT Mini Tour National Championship

Boys 11-12: Minxing Matt Li

Girls 11-12: Avery McAbee

Boys 9-10: Zhongjun Daniel Qi, Raymond Wang

Girls 9-10: Grace Yuemeng Wu

Boys 8U: Sawyer Morrow

Girls 8U: Chloe He

 

Boys 11-12: Kingston Ji, Bentley Hoogerdyk

Girls 11-12: Chloe Lam, Lucy Li

Boys 9-10: Raymond Wang, Ethan Jiang

Girls 9-10: Grace Yuemeng Wu, Luna Zhou

Boys 8U: Brayden Chen, Mason Hou

Girls 8U: Paris Liu, Gloria Han
 

 

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