Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

Canada’s leading competitive junior golf circuit, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), brought its Mini Tour to the scenic fairways of Cultus Lake Golf Club in Cultus Lake, BC, on July 21. Bathed in beautiful sunshine and surrounded by towering evergreens, the course set a perfect stage for 48 talented young athletes aged 12 and under to compete across six divisions. 

With division titles, great prizes, and spots up for grabs in the MJT Mini Tour National Championship at Tsawwassen Springs Golf Club in Delta, BC, next month, the stakes were high, and the competition did not disappoint.

Ten-year-old Haochen Tong of Richmond, BC, edged out Ben Gamley of North Vancouver, BC, in a thrilling countback finish to top the closely contested MJT Boys 9-10 division, with both players firing impressive rounds of 68. Tong’s steady play earned him the title in a nail-biting finale, setting the tone for a day of standout performances across the board.

Fierce gameplay continued in the remaining divisions, with victories claimed by Luke Gamley, 12, of North Vancouver, BC, in MJT Boys 11-12 (70), Lucy Li, 11, of Vancouver, BC, in MJT Girls 11-12 (67), Annabel Zhao, 9, from Richmond, BC, in MJT Girls 9-10 (72), Sawyer Morrow, 6, from Vancouver, BC, in MJT Boys 8U (65), and Chloe He, 8, from Richmond, BC, in MJT Girls 8U (64).     

 

Quotes from the division winners, top finisher scores and the 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 at Cheam Mountain Golf Course in Chilliwack, BC, on August 4. To register of for more information, please visit www.maplejt.com.

Top Finishers by Division
 

1. Luke Gamley (12), North Vancouver, BC | 70         

2. Jaden Gu (11), Surrey, BC | 72        

3. Austin Jiang (12), Richmond, BC | 74

Twelve-year-old Luke Gamley of North Vancouver, BC, carded a 70 to top the MJT Boys 11-12 division by two strokes. “I feel great because all the long hard hours on and off the course paid off,” said Gamley, who also praised the event’s organization. “I appreciate how well-organized Lee and the rest of the team is. I also appreciate the sponsors who helped make this tournament possible.” He added that his favourite part of the MJT is ‘how competitive the tour is and meeting new friends who also play on the tour.’

 

1. Lucy Li (11), Vancouver, BC | 67     

2. Chloe Lam (12), Vancouver, BC | 69           

3. Ashley Jung (11), Burnaby, BC | 71

Vancouver’s 11-year-old Lucy Li put together an impressive 67 at Cultus Lake for a two stroke victory in the MJT Girls 11-12 division. She credited part of her performance to a quirky moment: “I was a bit tired, but then a bug landed on me and startled me awake.” Her favourite part of MJT events? “Seeing Lee (MJT BC Tournament Director) and my golf buddies.”

MJT Boys 9-10: Cultus Lake: Par 63, Ydg 3171, Slope/Rating 0/0.0

1. Haochen Tong (10), Richmond, BC | 68* countback

2. Ben Gamley (10), North Vancouver, BC | 68          

3. Ethan Shi (10), Burnaby, BC | 69     

3. Bruce Yang (10), Vancouver, BC | 69

In the tightest race of the event, 10-year-old Haochen Tong of Richmond, BC, edged out North Vancouver’s Ben Gamley in a countback after both posted scores of 68, edging out two other top finishers in MJT Boys 9-10 by one stroke. “It feels really good and I’m really glad because this is my first win in a golf tournament,” said Tong. “I think it’s a really good tour to compete with other good golfers,” he added, also thanking MJT for the prizing.

MJT Girls 9-10: Cultus Lake: Par 63, Ydg 3171, Slope/Rating 0/0.0

1. Annabel Zhao (9), Richmond, BC | 72         

2. Lorena Wang (9), Surrey, BC | 76   

3. Ruby Chen (9), Surrey, BC | 87

Nine-year-old Annabel Zhao of Richmond, BC, continued her consistent play on the MJT with a solid winning round of 72 in the MJT Girls 9-10 division at Cultus Lake. “It felt exciting and encouraging to win,” she shared. “My favourite part about competing on the MJT is that I can make lots of friends.”

 

1. Sawyer Morrow (6), Vancouver, BC | 65    

2. Brayden Chen (7), Vancouver, BC | 68       

2. Tristan Liu (6), Surrey, BC |68

Vancouver’s six-year-old Sawyer Morrow continued his streak of strong finishes on the MJT Mini Tour, firing a remarkable round of 65 at Cultus Lake. Describing the experience as ‘exciting,’ Morrow said he enjoys ‘playing and winning,’ as his consistent play continues to turn heads across the province.
 

1. Chloe He (8), Richmond, BC  | 64

Eight-year-old Chloe He of Richmond, BC, posted a strong score of 64 in the MJT Girls 8U division at Cultus Lake Golf Club. Competing solo in her age group, she brought focus and enthusiasm to the course, saying she felt ‘very good and happy!’ about her round. Calling the MJT ‘challenging and fun,’ Chloe He continues to show steady progress on the Mini Tour.
 

Qualified Players: 
MJT Mini Tour National Championship at Tsawwassen Springs
Boys: Tristan Liu, Haochen Tong, Ben Gamley ,Luke Gamley

Girls: Ashley Jung

 

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