Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), Canada’s premier junior golf circuit since 1999, arrived at aptly named Crosswinds Golf and Country Club in Burlington, ON, on May 16–17, where competitors in the MJT Humber College PGM Classic were met with extreme winds, difficult conditions, and a lengthy weather delay.
 

As the first of two Humber College PGM events scheduled in Ontario this season, the tournament drew a wait-listed field, with 88 athletes eventually teeing off for titles in six divisions. On the line were custom crystal trophies, premium prizing from Herschel, and coveted qualifying opportunities into the Golf Ontario U17 Championship, MJT National Tour Challenge and East Coast Junior Championship.

 

One of the standout moments of the tournament came from Kaden Leclair, 15, of London, ON, who recorded a hole-in-one on the signature fifth hole before going on to finish fourth in the MJT Juvenile Boys division at 152 (77-75). The division itself delivered a thrilling playoff finish, as Noah MacDonald, 15, of Quinte West, ON, and Owen Duckett, 16, of Hamilton, ON, finished tied atop the leaderboard at 146. MacDonald sealed his first MJT victory with a par on the opening playoff hole, later sharing, “It feels great to win my first MJT tournament, and was very exciting to do so in a playoff.” He added, “This was an amazing event with a great venue. I’m excited for many more tournaments with MJT.”

Jacob Belair, 18, of Toronto, ON, captured the MJT Junior Boys division title with rounds of 77 and 76 for a 153 total in demanding conditions. Belair was open following the win, saying, “Never thought this would happen. Feels unreal, like I am in a dream.” He added that, “This event was great, very well run and the course was in great shape. I will remember this for the rest of my life.”
 

Milana Cunha, 16, of Woodbridge, ON, surged to victory in the MJT Girls 15-19 division after an impressive final-round 69 to finish at 150 (81-69). Cunha’s weekend included four birdies and an eagle, highlighted by her three-under-par performance in round two. “It feels really good,” she said afterward, noting that down the stretch she kept telling herself to ‘stay calm’ and that ‘I got this.’

In the MJT Girls U15 division, 14-year-old Audrina Lau of Toronto, ON, pieced together solid scores of 80 and 79 to finish at 159. Lau was encouraged by her steady improvement over the weekend, sharing, “It feels good. I was happy that I played better the second day.” She also praised the tournament atmosphere, saying, “This event was really good. The course was so nice.”
 

The MJT Bantam Boys division saw Michael Li, 13, of Richmond Hill, ON, combine consistent play with plenty of birdies en route to a 150 total (74-76). Li rolled in eight birdies across the two rounds and explained that while he was aware of the leaderboard late in the tournament, he ‘mainly just focused on the hole.’ He later rated the event a ‘10/10.’
 

Competing in the MJT Peewee Boys division, Jaxon Mitchell, 12, of Burlington, ON, earned the win with rounds of 83 and 82 for a 165 total. Mitchell described the moment as ’unreal,’ adding that he felt ‘very blessed and grateful.’ During the closing stretch, he said he reminded himself that he had ‘earned this’ and should ‘go out and have some fun.’

 

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 Ontario is the heavily waitlisted MJT Zeal Series at Tarandowah Golfers Club, taking place May 23-24 in Springfield. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, visit www.maplejt.com.

Top Finishers by Division
 

1. Jacob Belair (18), Toronto, ON | 77, 76 (153)         

2. Lewis Krandel (16), Vaughan, ON | 81, 77 (158)     

2. Matthew Saiolla (18), Oakville, ON | 80, 78 (158)

 

1. Milana Cunha (16), Woodbridge, ON | 81, 69 (150)

2. Isla Elbe (14), Oakville, ON | 80, 76 (156)

3. Sienna Bradstock (16), Oakville, ON | 84, 78 (162)
 

1. Noah MacDonald (15), Quinte West, ON | 75, 71 (146)     

2. Owen Duckett (16), Hamilton, ON | 74, 72 (146)

3. Antonio Mesiti (16), Kleinburg, ON | 72, 79 (151)

MJT Girls U15: Crosswinds: Par 72, Ydg 5443, Slope/Rating 112/65.9

1. Audrina Lau (14), Toronto, ON | 80, 79 (159)         

2. Jingyan Meng (12), Markham, ON | 86, 81 (167)   

3. Islay Oh (10), Toronto, ON | 86, 87 (173)

 

1. Michael Li (13), Richmond Hill, ON | 74, 76 (150)  

2. Theo Wittemund (12), Mississauga, ON | 78, 73 (151)      

3. Eli Perng (14), St. Davids, ON | 79, 74 (153)

MJT Peewee Boys: Crosswinds: Par 72, Ydg 5443, Slope/Rating 112/65.9

1. Jaxon Mitchell (12), Burlington, ON | 83, 82 (165)

2. Parker Harrison (12), Burlington, ON | 90, 88 (178)           

3. Jack Grant (11), Burlington, ON | 98, 86 (184)

Qualified and Shortlisted Players:

MJT East Coast Junior Championship

Boys: Jaxon Mitchell, Michael Li, Noah MacDonald, Jacob Belair

Girls: Audrina Lau, Milana Cunha

MJT National Tour Challenge

Boys: Michael Li, Noah MacDonald, Jacob Belair

Girls: Audrina Lau, Milana Cunha

Golf Ontario Junior Championship (Shortlisted)

Boy: Noah MacDonald

Girl: Milana Cunha
 

About Humber College Professional Golf Management Program: Humber College’s Business Administration - Professional Golf Management program is a ‘Recognized PGA of Canada program.’ Learning from industry pros, students gain hands-on experience with the latest golf technology, software and equipment in our world-class, Golf Lab facility, and receive golf coaching, club fitting and swing analysis from our team of PGA of Canada members. Our program also includes two six-month paid co-op internships. Our students have the opportunity to play on the Humber Hawks varsity golf team, the most decorated golf team in Canada. 

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