Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

Nearly 80 junior golfers converged on Mill Woods Golf Course in Edmonton, AB, on August 17–18, as the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) brought two season-long storylines to a close at the MJT ZEAL Series. The two-day event marked the sixth and final national ZEAL Series stop of 2026, while also closing out Alberta’s qualifying race for next month’s MJT National Tour Challenge in Ontario.

 

Athletes aged 19 and under competed across six divisions for custom Maple Leaf crystal trophies and ZEAL sunglasses, with plenty still at stake as the 2026 MJT season heads into its final stretch.

Seventeen-year-old Gavin Braithwaite of Edmonton, AB, claimed the MJT Junior Boys title with excellent rounds of 70 and 69 for a 139 total. Braithwaite finished two-under in the opening round before going three-under on day two, collecting six birdies and an eagle along the way. His approach was simple: “Stick to my game, have fun, and focus on making a good swing.” He added, “I thought this was an excellent event, the course was great, and it was lots of fun!”

 

Calgary’s Elle Banister secured the MJT Girls 15–19 title at age 15, following an opening 78 with a final-round 73 to finish at 151. Banister entered the tournament feeling good about her swing, saying, “I think I was hitting the ball really well going in, so that gave me a lot of confidence.” Her strategy was to stay in her own lane, ‘focusing on my own game and trying to shoot a solid score rather than worry about what the other girls were doing.’

 

The MJT Juvenile Boys division came down to a countback, with 16-year-old Edmonton golfer Pavel Pietrzykowski stealing the title after he and Sherwood Park’s Jayden Popik finished tied at 143. Pietrzykowski’s final-round 69 gave him the edge over Popik’s 70. A brilliant seven birdies across the two days helped Pietrzykowski get there, including a birdie on the long par-three on the back nine that he identified as a difference-maker. His game plan throughout was to ‘hit fairways and leave the ball below the hole.’

 

At 14, Rachel Adamis of Edmonton won the MJT Girls U15 division with rounds of 80 and 85 for a 165 total. Among her favourite moments was playing alongside Sloan (Dyck) and a memorable stretch on holes seven and eight, capped by a birdie. Asked to rate her experience, Adamis didn’t hesitate: “Infinity out of 10.”

 

A seven-shot turnaround propelled Edmonton’s Max Zavediuk to the MJT Bantam Boys title, as the 14-year-old followed an opening 81 with a 74 to finish at 155. Two birdies and an eagle highlighted his final 18, while Zavediuk credited another part of his game for helping him get the job done: “My driver was on point.” His rating of the MJT was equally emphatic: “10/10, 100%.”

 

Eleven-year-old William Hadi of Calgary secured the MJT Peewee Boys division after improving from an opening 89 to an 83 in the final round for a 172 total. Hadi pointed to his play off the tee as a strength, saying, “The strongest part of my game is my driver,” while keeping his strategy straightforward: “Hit on the fairway.”
 

Top finisher scores and the 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 MJT PLYR Series at Turner Valley Golf Club taking place August 27-28 in Diamond Valley. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, visit www.maplejt.com.

Top Finishers by Division
 

1. Gavin Braithwaite (17), Edmonton, AB | 70, 69 (139)

2. Jaxon Kotylak (19), Edmonton, AB | 72, 69 (141)   

3. Myles Marshall (18), Edmonton, AB | 74, 69 (143)

 

1. Elle Banister (15), Calgary, AB | 78, 73 (151)          

2. Ariana He (17), Edmonton, AB | 83, 80 (163)         

2. Sydney Korbyl (16), Red Deer County, AB | 83, 80 (163)

 

1. Pavel Pietrzykowski (16), Edmonton, AB | 74, 69 (143) *Countback Low R2

2. Jayden Popik (16), Sherwood Park, AB | 73, 70 (143)        

3. Jack Hargreaves (16), Edmonton, AB | 73, 71 (144)
 

MJT Girls U15: Mill Woods GC: Par 72, Ydg 5852, Slope/Rating 122/73.9

1. Rachel Adamis (14), Edmonton, AB | 80, 85 (165)

2. Sloan Dyck (13), Spruce Grove, AB | 101, 104 (205)          

 

1. Max Zavediuk (14), Edmonton, AB | 81, 74 (155)   

2. Luke Martens (14), St Albert, AB | 79, 78 (157)

3. London Borschneck (14), Leduc, AB | 84, 76 (160)

MJT Peewee Boys: Mill Woods GC: Par 72, Ydg 5852, Slope/Rating 116/68.1

1. William Hadi (11), Calgary, AB | 89, 83 (172)         

2. Leo Wang (12), Calgary, AB | 92, 89 (181)  

3. Henry Kyle (12), Spruce Grove, AB | 95, 97 (192)

Qualified Players:

MJT National Tour Challenge
Boys: Max Zavediuk, Pavel Pietrzykowski, Gavin Braithwaite

Girls: Elle Banister

About ZEAL Optics: At ZEAL, we build the highest quality eyewear for people like us who live for outdoor adventure. But that is just the beginning of our adventure. We focus on more than just being an eyewear company. We are guided by a simple set of beliefs: Use Less, Give Back, Explore More.

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