Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

A fantastic turnout of 95 youth braved heavy skies and cool temperatures at Olds Golf Course in Olds, Alberta, on June 22, as they participated in either one of two events held by the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour - a Cam Clark Ford Olds Go Golf! Junior Clinic introducing kids aged five to 12 to the game for free, or the MJT Mini Tour presented by Edge School, a competitive 18-hole tournament for Alberta’s 12U athletes. Results of the latter are detailed below, where players battled for titles in six divisions as well as the chance to directly qualify for the MJT Mini Tour National Championship in British Columbia later this season. 

 

Despite the moody weather, the course buzzed with energy as the next generation of golfers took to the fairways and the day wrapped with standout performances across all six divisions, including victories from Judah Hornstein, 12, of Calgary, AB, in MJT Boys 11-12 (72), Jaya Naicker, 12, of Calgary, AB, in MJT Girls 11-12 (79), Rylan Hryhirchuk, 10, from Irma, AB, in MJT Boys 9-10 (75), Mia He, 10, from Edmonton, AB, in MJT Girls 9-10 (90), Jordy Bain, 8, of Edmonton, AB, in MJT Boys 8U (75), and Rosemary Jenkins, 8, of Cranbrook, BC, in MJT Girls 8U (122).

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 MJT Mini Tour at Innisfail Golf Course, taking place July 6 in Innisfail. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, please visit www.maplejt.com.
 

1. Judah Hornstein (12), Calgary, AB | 72       

2. Carter Martin (12), Millet, AB | 76  

3. Jase Hansen (12), Magrath, AB | 80           

3. Jaxon Rogalczyk (11), Innisfail, AB | 80

Calgary’s Judah Hornstein shot an impressive even-par 72 to top the MJT Boys 11-12 division. The 12-year-old clinched the title in style, sharing, “It feels great to finally get the job done,” and adding, “I love all the people that come out to run and make these events possible.”
 

1. Jaya Naicker (12), Calgary, AB | 79

2. Sydney Preston (12), Calgary, AB | 80        

3. Ain Lee (11), Sylvan Lake, AB | 81

Twelve-year-old Jaya Naicker of Calgary edged out the competition by a single stroke to win the MJT Girls 11-12 division with a score of 79. “I'm very happy and feel proud of myself,” she said. “I couldn't have done it without everyone involved in this event, including sponsors, MJT crew, and especially my dad.” She also shared that her favourite part of the MJT is ‘getting to see where my progress takes me, especially since I have high expectations for myself and being under pressure gets me rattled.’
 

MJT Boys 9-10: Olds GC: Par 72, Ydg 4001, Slope/Rating 0/0.0
1. Rylan Hryhirchuk (10), Irma, AB | 75          

2. Jix Whitton (10), Rocky Mountain House, AB | 80  

3. Mika Bhamra (9), Calgary, AB | 81

Irma’s Rylan Hryhirchuk, age 10, fired a solid round of 75 to top the leaderboard in the MJT Boys 9-10 division. “Amazing!” was his one-word summary of the experience, followed by a glowing review of the MJT: “Keep up the great work, 10/10!”
 

1. Mia He (10), Edmonton, AB | 90     

2. Brooke Sundquist (10), Calgary, AB | 94     

3. Christi Zhu (10), Calgary, AB | 99

Ten-year-old Mia He from Edmonton earned her long-awaited breakthrough win in the MJT Girls 9-10 division with a score of 90. “It feels so great to finally win first after one year and one tournament of trying. I now have first, second, and third. Mom will be happy,” she said. Her favourite part? “Making new friends and socializing while competing in a friendly competition.”

MJT Boys 8U: Olds GC: Par 72, Ydg 3110, Slope/Rating 0/0.0

1. Jordy Bain (8), Edmonton, AB | 75  

2. Blake Widmer (8), Edmonton, AB | 76       

3. Knox Shippelt (8), Rocky Mountain House, AB | 88

Edmonton’s Jordy Bain, 8, carded a stellar round of 75 to capture the MJT Boys 8U division. “It feels really great and exciting—it was a great day,” he shared. ‘Having fun on the course with great friends, and on great courses as well!’ was his highlight of the MJT experience.
 

1. Rosemary Jenkins (8), Cranbrook, BC | 122            

2. Ava Deschamps (8), Calgary, AB | 123        

In a tight race in the MJT Girls 8U division, 8-year-old Rosemary Jenkins of Cranbrook, BC, came out on top with a round of 122. “Amazing! Hard work pays off!” she said. Reflecting on her final stretch, she added, “That was a close match! Ava played great,” giving a thoughtful nod to her fellow competitor.

Qualified Players (must meet Scoring Criteria):

MJT Mini Tour National Championship at Tsawwassen Springs GC
Boys: Knox Shippelt, Mika Bhamra, Jase Hansen

Girls: Mia He, Jaya Naicker
 

About Edge School: Edge School is a unique learning community for children in Grades 4-12 to pursue academic excellence while striving to reach their full athletic potential. We accommodate the training requirements of a wide range of sports and disciplines and offer high-performance training in basketball, dance, figure skating, fitness, golf, hockey, and soccer. Edge also offers a training environment for student-athletes in sports (luge, equestrian, skiing, swimming, tennis, etc.) that require a flexible schedule to meet their needs. For more information, visit edgeschool.com.
 

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