Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

Beautiful Rocky Mountain House welcomed a waitlisted field of 73 talented junior golfers from across Alberta on July 20–21, when the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), Canada's leading junior golf tour, hosted the two-day MJT Sergio Garcia Qualifier at Pine Hills Golf Club.
 

Players competed in six divisions for custom crystal trophies, ZEAL Optics sunglasses, direct exemptions into the MJT National Tour Challenge in Ontario this September, and shortlist consideration for the Sergio Garcia Junior Championship in Spain this October, creating another high stakes stop on the 2026 national schedule.

Edmonton’s Ethan Swanson opened with a 77 before closing in 73 to finish at 150 and take the MJT Junior Boys title. The 17-year-old began his final round with back-to-back birdies, which he felt established the right tone for the day. “I started birdie, birdie, and then steadied out with lots of pars. I feel like that set me up in the right direction for the remainder of the day,” he said. Swanson added, “It was a great event on a beautiful course. I was very happy with how everything turned out thanks to MJT.”

 

Claire Chanyi, 16, of Priddis Greens, fired 76 and 74 (150) to finish first in the MJT Girls 15–19 division and win low overall Girls score honours. She pointed to her driver and iron accuracy as the strongest parts of her game and relied on a straightforward plan throughout the tournament: ‘Hit greens in regulation, stay on fairway, and stay consistent.’

 

Brooks golfer Justin Mrazek won low overall Boys score honours after capping an opening 73 with an even-par 72 to earn the MJT Juvenile Boys title with a total of 145. The 16-year-old, who is now shortlisted for the Sergio Garcia Junior Championship, drew confidence from a strong showing earlier in the round, explaining, “I had a very strong showing at 4/9, so every part of my game was in a good place and I felt confident.” He also praised the tournament, saying, “This was a very well-run event. I would not have changed a thing.”

 

Fourteen-year-old Belanna Bandola of Edmonton made one of the biggest moves of the tournament, improving by nine strokes with a second-round 73 to finish at 155 and top the MJT Girls U15 field. Her two rounds included six birdies, with her putting providing several key moments. “All of my birdie putts (helped), because having my putter working definitely helped keep my score low,” she said. Bandola described the event as ‘great’ and ‘very well organized.’

 

Calgary’s Niko Tran combined scores of 78 and 76 for a 154 total, placing the 13-year-old atop the MJT Bantam Boys division. Tran identified his work on the greens as a major factor in the result, saying, “During the tournament, I felt that my putting was really strong.” He also shared, “This event was really fun and was well run.”

 

Local competitor Jix Whitton of Rocky Mountain House shot 77 and 86 to lead the MJT Peewee Boys division at 163. One of the 11-year-old’s most memorable shots came on the 16th hole, where he narrowly missed an ace before settling for birdie. “On sixteen, I almost had a hole-in-one,” he said. Whitton summed up the experience with, “It was awesome. MJT did a great job setting this up.”

 

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

 

Next up in Alberta is the waitlisted three-day major, the MJT Ford Series at Olds Golf Club, taking place August 4-6 in Olds. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, visit www.maplejt.com.

Top Finishers by Division
 

1. Ethan Swanson (17), Edmonton, AB | 77, 73 (150)

2. Andrew Schmidt (17), Sherwood Park, AB | 76, 78 (154)   

3. Taiwo Oba (17), Athabasca, AB | 79, 76 (155)

3. Kyan Woolford (19), Calgary, AB | 79, 76 (155)

 

1. Claire Chanyi (16), Priddis Greens, AB | 76, 74 (150)         

2. Siene Patel (15), Calgary, AB | 89, 79 (168)            

3. Sydney Korbyl (16), Red Deer County, AB | 84, 84 (168)

 

1. Justin Mrazek (16), Brooks, AB | 73, 72 (145)        

2. Brody Black (14), Chestermere, AB | 73, 78 (151)  

3. Ben Abbey (16), Calgary, AB | 78, 75 (153)

3. Grady Sewell (16), Rocky Mountain House, AB | 73, 80 (153)
 

MJT Girls U15: Pine Hills GC: Par 73, Ydg 5639, Slope/Rating 121/71.8

1. Belanna Bandola (14), Edmonton, AB | 82, 73 (155)          

2. Rachel Adamis (14), Edmonton, AB | 83, 84 (167)

3. Tricia Zeng (13), Calgary, AB | 86, 103 (189)

 

1. Niko Tran (13), Calgary, AB | 78, 76 (154)  

2. Edwin Park (13), Bentley, AB | 80, 76 (156)            

3. Jaxon Rogalczyk (12), Innisfail, AB | 80, 77 (157)    

MJT Peewee Boys: Pine Hills GC: Par 72, Ydg 5639, Slope/Rating 111/66.2

1. Jix Whitton (11), Rocky Mountain House, AB | 77, 86 (163)          

2. William Hadi (11), Calgary, AB | 91, 78 (169)

3. Jack Schab (12), Calgary, AB | 81, 92 (173)
 

Qualified and Shortlisted Players:

Sergio Garcia Junior Championship (shortlisted)

Boys: Justin Mrazek

MJT National Tour Challenge* 

Boys: Jaxon Rogalczyk, Justin Mrazek, Ethan Swanson

Girls: Sydney Korbyl, Claire Chanyi

 

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