Press Release - Manitoba PGA Junior Championship presented by MAZDA - July 25-26, 2004

July 25-26, 2004
Transcona Golf Club, Winnipeg, MB

For Immediate Release ? July 26, 2004

SUCCESSFUL MJT SERIES TOPPED OFF WITH MANITOBA PGA JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

WINNIPEG, MB ? The second annual Manitoba PGA Junior Championship presented by Mazda concluded this past Monday in Winnipeg, where a field of competitive junior golfers from across Manitoba as well as parts of Ontario and Colorado competed for the chance to claim their division championship titles.

The two-day tournament, held at Transcona Golf Club and facilitated by local CPGA Professionals and MJT Tournament Directors Derek Ingram and Garth Goodbrandson, was the last stop in the three-event Manitoba Series on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), which is sponsored by Boston Pizza.

The Manitoba PGA Junior Boys 17 and up Champion was Brendan Young from Winnipeg, who also claimed the overall low score for the field with rounds of 73-70=143. ?I have to thank my putting,? said Young. ?It really enabled me to make a lot of birdies and score well in the windy conditions. The wind made it a true test for all the golfers.?

Tied for second place in this division behind Young with total scores of 146 were Josh Blatt (71-75) and Michael Goldberg (74-72), both from Winnipeg.

Jesse Skelton from St. Francois-Xavier, who shot 74-74 for a 148 total, was victorious for the second time on the Tour this season, clinching the Manitoba PGA Junior Boys 14-16 Champion title by one stroke over Joey McInnes from Red Lake, ON. ?I?ve won the last two MJT events so that?s awesome,? said Skelton. ?I putted really well. The golf course was in good shape?..the greens were really hard though.?

Runner up McInnes shot 71-78 for a 149 total score. Tied for third in the division with a 153 total score were Kirk Chase (75-78) from Winnipeg and Tyler Friesen (78-75) from Winkler.

The Manitoba PGA Junior Boys 13 and Under Champion was another repeat MJT winner, Austin Steinberger from Selkirk. Steinberger shot 76-78=154 and credited his ball striking for his win. ?It feels good (to win) because this is a big tournament,? he said. ?I would like to thank all the people that put it on.?

In second place was Brock Helgeson from Balmertown, ON (79-81=160), followed by Lyle MacKenzie from Winnipeg in third place (87-81=168).

After two second place finishes on the MJT this season, Brittany Piche from Brandon easily took the Manitoba PGA Junior Girls Champion title over Faye Zachedniak from Roblin and Erin Goldberg from Winnipeg.

?I handled the wind well and calculated extra distances well so it feels very good (to win),? said Piche, who shot rounds of 80-85 for a 165 total. She added, ?The course was in good shape but the greens were extremely fast!?

Zachedniak won both the Mr. Lube Long Drive and Sundog Closest-to-the-Pin Competitions in the Girls division. The other division winners respectively were Helgeson and Steinberger in Boys 13 and under; Derek East (Winnipeg) and Cameron Down (Winnipeg) in Boys 14-16; Andrew Gaudry (Winnipeg) and Marcus Hainstock (Stonewall) in Boys 17 and up.

The Manitoba PGA Junior Championship is part of the Mazda-sponsored six-event Canadian PGA Junior Championship Series, which is conducted by the non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour. Formerly the Western Canada Junior Golf Tour, the MJT is endorsed by PGA Tour veterans Dave Barr and Ray Stewart and is Canada?s only major junior tour run exclusively by Canadian PGA Professionals. Now in its sixth year, the MJT?s 2004 schedule culminates this September with the Boston Pizza National Tour Championship at Crown Isle Golf Resort on Vancouver Island, BC.

For more information, please visit www.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-GOLF