Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

Canada's leading junior golf tour, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), teed it up at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, BC, on July 13-14, with over 110 youth taking part in either a free Junior Golf Clinic or a two-day MJT Ford Series tournament for elite players. The Dearborn Ford Go Golf! Junior Clinic provided an introduction to the game to enthusiastic kids aged 6 to 12 in the community, rounding out the non-profit MJT’s mandate to develop junior golf in Canada, while 73 competitive young golfers from five provinces showcased their skills in the MJT Ford Series, underscoring the tour's national reach.
 

Results of the tournament are detailed below, where players in six divisions battled for custom maple leaf crystal trophies, fantastic prizes, direct exemptions into the MJT National Tour Challenge in Ontario later this fall, and shortlist consideration for the Jack Newton International Junior Classic in Australia. Players also had the opportunity to drive away in a new Ford Bronco from Dearborn Ford with a hole-in-one.

Abbotsford's Lukas Selander-Wendt, 18, held on for a one-shot victory in the MJT Junior Boys division after opening with a two-under-par 70 en route to a 149 total. Six birdies and an eagle over 36 holes helped fuel the BC player’s performance, while his approach coming home was simple: "I was thinking about paring out and playing safe." Commenting on the tournament, Selander-Wendt added, "I thought it was run very good. Big thank you for putting on this event."

Gwyneth Leong, 15, of Kelowna, BC, bounced back impressively with a 77 in the final round, a 10-stroke improvement from her opening day, to finish atop the MJT Girls 15-19 division at 164. During her comeback, she reminded herself to ‘slow down my swing and told myself that I can do this.’ Leong also praised the experience, calling it ‘very fun,’ saying, "Everyone was super nice and the course was in good condition."

Kamloops native Brady Douglas, 16, carded matching rounds of 75 to secure the MJT Juvenile Boys title by a single stroke. His steady play included four birdies and an eagle over 36 holes, following a strategy of ‘hit as many fairways as possible, which left me good shots onto the green.’ Down the stretch, Douglas kept his focus on one simple objective: "Just keep doing what you're doing and hit greens."

Manitoba’s Grant Secord, 14, of La Salle, surged through a tightly contested MJT Bantam Boys field with a two-under-par 70 in the final round to finish at 147. Four birdies and two eagles highlighted his winning effort, while he expressed gratitude to his father, saying, "My dad drove me here, over a 20-hour drive, and gave me the opportunities to play golf." Secord also rated the event ‘10/10,’ describing it as a ‘great course and great competition.’

 

Moris Henwood, 12, from Victoria, BC, pieced together two consistent rounds of 78 to lead the MJT Peewee Boys division with a 156 total. As the tournament wound down, his priority remained unchanged: "That I had fun."
 

Top finisher scores and the list of qualified players are noted below. Results from the Bomber Long Drive and PLYR Closest to the Pin competitions, Booster Juice BounceBack Awards, and Academy Points can be found here.  

 

Next up in British Columbia is the waitlisted MJT Order of Merit Series at Okanagan Golf Club taking place July 16-17 in Kelowna. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, visit www.maplejt.com.

Top Finishers by Division
 

1. Lukas Selander-Wendt (18), Abbotsford, BC | 70, 79 (149)

2. Anthony De Sousa (17), Burnaby, BC | 74, 76 (150)           

3. Samuel Hager (17), Kelowna, BC | 75, 79 (154)
 

1. Gwyneth Leong (15), Kelowna, BC | 87, 77 (164)   

2. Sydney Viktora (15), Kamloops, BC | 81, 85 (166)  

3. Autumn Lapp (15), Kelowna, BC | 98, 89 (187)
 

1. Brady Douglas (16), Kamloops, BC | 75, 75 (150)   

2. Crosby Vernon (15), Invermere, BC | 79, 72 (151)

3. Kobe Johnson (15), Quesnel, BC | 78, 76 (154)

 

1. Grant Secord (14), La Salle, MB | 77, 70 (147)       

2. Callen Birks (14), Prince George, BC | 79, 75 (154)

3. Julien Bromley (13), Vancouver, BC | 82, 75 (157)

3. Matthew Dodson (14), Vernon, BC | 75, 82 (157)

MJT Peewee Boys: Rivershore: Par 72, Ydg 5458, Slope/Rating 110/66.5

1. Moris Henwood (12), Victoria, BC | 78, 78 (156)    

2. Jimmy Guan (12), Richmond, BC | 84, 80 (164)      

3. Walker Neilson (12), Golden, BC | 93, 82 (175)      

3. Luke Gilmour (11), Burnaby, BC | 89, 86 (175)
​
Qualified and Shortlisted Players

Jack Newton International Junior Classic (Australia) (Shortlist)
Boys: Lukas Selander-Wendt

 

Boys: Grant Secord, Brady Douglas, Lukas Selander-Wendt

Girls: Gwyneth Leong

About Ford Canada: Ford of Canada and the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) are proud to continue with the successful MJT Ford Go Golf! Junior Clinics - an initiative that introduces golf for free to young people, teaching them a game they can benefit from their entire lives. Many thousands of kids have participated in this program since 2006. Clinics have been held in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan where participating Ford Dealers offer free MJT Ford Go Golf! Junior Clinics conducted by PGA of Canada Professionals to children in their community. Ford and the Ford Dealers Association wish to support amateur sport in their communities by introducing children to golf, encouraging them to learn the fundamentals, and rewarding them for their efforts.

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