Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

 

One of the marquee events on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour calendar took centre stage at Sawmill Golf Course in Fenwick, ON, from September 11-13, as an invited field of 86 talented junior golfers arrived from five provinces for the MJT National Tour Challenge.
 

The three-day Major brought a packed field of players aged 19 and under from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and across Ontario to compete in a World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®) ranked 54-hole event. With championship titles on the line across five divisions, the field was tested over three rounds of high-level competition, with custom medals and Maui Jim sunglasses awarded to the division champions.

 

Sawmill Golf Course delivered an exceptional setting throughout the weekend, pairing outstanding hospitality with near-perfect weather as players from across the country battled for Major honours on Canada’s #1 Junior Golf Tour.

Landon Kelly of Lindsay, ON, out-survived a dramatic three-way playoff to become the MJT National Tour Challenge Junior Boys Champion, closing out his final junior event on the MJT with a victory. The 18-year-old posted rounds of 73, 73 and 72 for a 218 total, matched by Jett Metaxas (17) of Stoney Creek, ON, and Ben Julie (17) of Fenwick, ON, to force the playoff. Kelly pointed to a key moment earlier in the final round that helped steady his finish. “After 3 putting on the 10th hole, I made a good par on 11, making a nice 10-foot putt to switch the momentum and was able to play steady afterwards.” The win provided a fitting conclusion to his MJT junior career, which Kelly rated a ‘10/10,’ adding, “Another amazing event to end off the year and my final junior event before graduating.”

 

The MJT Girls 15-19 division ended with two names atop the leaderboard, as Regan Andrusyk of Hamilton, ON, and Raylee Denton of Red Deer, AB, were crowned Co-Champions after finishing deadlocked at 221 through 54 holes. With no playoff contested, the two 16-year-olds shared the MJT National Tour Challenge division title.

Andrusyk posted rounds of 73, 76 and 72, collecting nine birdies and an eagle over the three-day Major. The eagle provided one of her most memorable moments of the weekend. “It was my second round where I drained a soft eagle putt,” she said. Her approach throughout the tournament was equally straightforward: “Keep my emotions even and play loose.”

Denton arrived at a 221 total with rounds of 75, 70 and 76, highlighted by an impressive one-under-par second round. She recorded 12 birdies and an eagle over the 54-hole event, with consistency proving key to keeping her in contention. “The strongest part of my game is my consistency, and I have really started to improve on my short game in the past few tournaments,” she said. Denton also pointed to her ability to turn things around when needed: “I got a few putts to fall on the back nine after a tough front, and it helped me bring myself back.”

 

Ben Schofield kept his game plan uncomplicated and let the results follow, securing the MJT National Tour Challenge Juvenile Boys Championship with a three-day total of 215. The 16-year-old Kitchener, ON, golfer improved each day with rounds of 74, 72 and 69, saving one of his best moments for the final hole when he rolled in a ‘20-foot birdie putt on 18 to break 70.’ Schofield said his strategy for the Major was to “keep it simple, hit as many fairways and greens as possible,” an approach that ultimately carried him to the division title.

Zixi Wang delivered three rounds under par to become the MJT National Tour Challenge Bantam Boys Champion in commanding fashion. The 14-year-old from Toronto, ON, opened with a three-under-par 68 and followed with back-to-back 69s, finishing at 206 for the championship. Wang collected 13 birdies along the way and credited his driver as the strongest part of his game. His plan for tackling Sawmill was simple: “Just play safe and get more birdies.” With red numbers on the board all three days, the strategy paid off as Wang claimed the Major division title.
 

Thirteen-year-old Cocomi Wang of Toronto, ON, held on by a single stroke to win the MJT Girls U15 division and earn the title of MJT National Tour Challenge Champion. Wang opened with an impressive one-under-par 70 before following with an even-par 71 and a final-round 76 for a 217 total. Her strategy for navigating the three-day Major was about as simple as it gets: “Just get par.” She did even better than that through her opening 36 holes and, when asked to sum up her championship experience, Wang kept that answer equally concise: “Very good.”

An honourable mention goes to Gracie Vescan, 16, of Mississauga, ON, who closed an important chapter of her junior golf career at Sawmill with her final MJT appearance. A familiar face on the Tour since 2023, Vescan finished tied for fourth in the MJT Girls 15-19 division with a three-round total of 231. Her next chapter will take her to Sacred Heart University, where she will continue her golf career at the NCAA Division I level next year. The MJT wishes Gracie every success as she makes the exciting transition from junior to collegiate golf.
 

Top finisher scores 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.  

 

The next and final event in Ontario is the heavily waitlisted MJT Order of Merit Series at Don Valley Golf Course in Toronto taking place September 26-27. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, visit www.maplejt.com.

Top Finishers by Division
 

1. Landon Kelly (18), Lindsay, ON | 73, 73, 72 (218) *Won Playoff

2. Jett Metaxas (17), Stoney Creek, ON | 75, 71, 72 (218)     

2. Ben Julie (17), Fenwick, ON | 73, 72, 73 (218)

 

1. Regan Andrusyk (16), Hamilton, ON | 73, 76, 72 (221) *Co-Champion

1. Raylee Denton (16), Red Deer, AB | 75, 70, 76 (221) *Co-Champion

3. Sadie Westfall (17), Oshawa, ON | 79, 73, 77 (229)

 

1. Ben Schofield (16), Kitchener, ON | 74, 72, 69 (215)          

2. Brock Campbell (16), Trent Lakes, ON | 70, 76, 73 (219)   

3. Landon Friesen (15), St. Catharines, ON | 72, 73, 77 (222)

MJT Girls U15: Sawmill GC: Par 72, Ydg 5871, Slope/Rating 133/75.0

1. Cocomi Wang (13), Toronto, ON | 70, 71, 76 (217)            

2. Sophia Noh (13), Richmond Hill, ON | 74, 73, 71 (218)      

3. Miranda Zhang (13), Toronto, ON | 69, 77, 77 (223)

 

1. Zixi Wang (14), Toronto, ON | 68, 69, 69 (206)      

2. Hoffmann Tchong (14), Markham, ON | 74, 74, 74 (222)  

2. Max Sue (13), Markham, ON | 72, 75, 75 (222)

2. Hudson Lockwood (14), Oakville, ON | 71, 69, 82 (222)

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