Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

Another full house teed it up on Canada’s number one Junior Tour, the non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour, when 116 golfers participated in the MJT Edge School Spring Classic at River Bend Golf Club in Red Deer, Alberta, over the May 11 and 12 weekend.  Players were competing for titles in six divisions plus the opportunity to qualify for six major events: the PGA Tour America’s-affiliated MJT Future Stars presented by ATB in Edmonton, AB, the Junior Americas Cup (Team Alberta) in Midway, Utah, this August, the MJT East Coast Junior Championship this July in Moncton, NB, direct entry into the FCG World Golf Championship (Palm Desert) and the World Stars Golf Championship (Las Vegas, NV) this July, and finally, short-listed positions in the IMG Academy Junior World Championship in San Diego, California (July).

 

Charlie Gillespie, 17, of Calgary, AB, made a huge step towards a repeat appearance in the Junior America’s Cup after his outstanding score of 11-under par (65-68=133) secured Low Overall and the MJT Junior Boys Division title.  In the Girls Divisions, Saylar May, 15, of Rocky Mountain House, AB, won her first MJT event of the season, claiming Low Overall honours and the MJT Girls 15-19 title with excellent scores of 71-73=144.  Both Gillespie and May, along with other qualified winners, receive direct exemptions into the FCG World Golf Championship and short-list spots for the IMG Academy Junior World Championship. 

 

Other notable performances this weekend had Sela Ogada (Calgary), Erik Petersen (Okotoks, AB), Solomon Tong (Heritage Pointe, AB), and Brae Rogalczyk (Innisfail, AB) winning their respective division titles.  Their winner quotes along with top finisher scores are highlighted below. Results from the London Drugs Long Drive, PLYR Closest to the Pin, Booster Juice BounceBack Awards and Academy Points can be found here. More information on tournament sponsor, Edge School, can be found at edgeschool.com.

 

The next MJT stop in Alberta is the wait listed MJT Humber College PGM Classic at Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club in Banff on May 19-20. For more information on the MJT, please see www.maplejt.com. 

 

1 Sela Ogada, Calgary, AB, F, 13                                                                       73-71 (144)

2 Justine Leon, Calgary, AB, F, 14                                                                    72-74 (146)

3 Rhea Deo, Edmonton, AB, F, 14                                                                    74-78 (152)

 

Sela Ogada, 13, of Calgary, AB, posted a one-under 71 today to finish the weekend at even par and win the MJT Girls U15 Division title.  “Most of my approach shots were pretty good throughout the tournament,” said Ogada.  “It feels good to have pulled through and win today.”

 

1 Saylar May, Rocky Mountain House, AB, F, 15                                            71-73 (144)

2 Kali Yeske, Calgary, AB, F, 15                                                                            75-73 (148)

3 Olivia Johnson, Calgary, AB, F, 15                                                                  74-76 (150)

 

Saylar May, 15, of Rocky Mountain House, AB, closed her tournament at even par from the furthest tees for the Girls divisions to win the MJT Girls 15-19 title and Low Overall honours.  May tied for the low round of the day in her division to maintain her four-shot victory.  “It feels rally good to win,” she said.  “It is my first year in the 15-19 division and feels good to prove that I can compete with the older girls.”

 

MJT Peewee Boys: Par 72, 5325 Ydg , Slope / Rating  113/67.7   

1 Erik Petersen, Okotoks, AB, M, 12                                                               77-78 (155)

2 Jacob Brunette, Calgary, AB, M, 12                                                             82-83 (165)

2 Edwin Park, Bentley, AB, M, 11                                                                     82-83 (165)

 

Winning for the second time this season was Erik Petersen, 12, of Okotoks, AB, who played steady golf for a 10-shot victory in the MJT Peewee Boys Division.  When asked about the part of his game that stood out this weekend, Petersen said, “I made some good putts.”

  

1 Solomon Tong, Heritage Pointe, AB, M, 14                                               76-71 (147) Playoff

2 Jayden Arnold, Calgary, AB, M, 13                                                               72-75 (147)

3 Chase Strang, Airdrie, AB, M, 14                                                                   72-77 (149)

 

The MJT Bantam Boys Division was won by 14-year-old Solomon Tong of Heritage Pointe, AB, who closed with a one-under par 71 to come from behind and tie first round leader Jayden Arnold, 13, of Calgary, and then proceeded to win the title in extra hole.  “This win is exhilarating!” said Tong, “The playoff that I won was very nerve racking because I had only gotten bogey and double bogey on the finishing playoff hole, and then I made eagle to win on the same hole.”

 

1 Brae Rogalczyk, Innisfail, AB, M, 16                                                             68-75 (143)

2 Sam Cook, Calgary , AB, M, 15                                                                       72-73 (145)

2 Liam Czirjak, Rocky View County, AB, M, 15                                              72-73 (145)

 

The MJT Juvenile Boys Division title went for the second time this season to Brae Rogalczyk, 16, of Innisfail, AB, who posted a two-shot victory this weekend and finished at one-under par.  “It feels good to go back-to-back to start off the Alberta season,” said Rogalczyk.  “I grinded through some bad breaks and a rough start today.”

 

1 Charlie Gillespie, Calgary, AB, M, 17                                                              65-68 (133)

2 Josiah Tong, Heritage Pointe, AB, M, 18                                                      69-67 (136)

3 Brett Jones, Calgary, AB, M, 17                                                                      70-68 (138)

 

Finishing the weekend at an incredible 11-under par was MJT veteran Charlie Gillespie, 17, of Calgary, AB, who blazed his way around the River Bend course with a sizzling opening round of 65 and then followed it up with 68 on the final day to win the MJT Junior Boys Division title and Low Overall.  “I am super excited! I came here to qualify for the IMG Worlds and getting it done today is extremely rewarding,” he stated.

 

ATB Future Stars: Charlie Gillespie (Calgary), Brae Rogalczyk (Innisfail), Josiah Tong (Heritage Point), and Brett Jones (Calgary)

 

East Coast Junior Championship: Sela Ogada 9Calgary), Saylar May (Rocky Mountain House), Solomon Tong (Heritage Pointe), Brae Rogalczyk (Innisfail) and Charlie Gillespie (Calgary)

 

Girls 11-12: Danica Horcica (Edmonton)

Girls 13-14: Sela Ogada (Calgary)

Girls 15-18: Saylar May (Rocky Mountain House)

Boys 11-12: Erik Petersen (Okotoks)

Boys 13-14: Solomon Tong (Heritage Pointe)

Boys 15-18: Charlie Gillespie (Calgary)

 

Girls 11-12: Camilla Ruesga (Calgary)

Girls 13-14: Justine Leon (Calgary)

Girls 15-18: Kali Yeske (Calgary)

Boys 11-12: Jacob Brunette (Calgary)

Boys 13-14: Jayden Arnold (Calgary)

Boys 15-18: Josiah Tong (Heritage Pointe)

 

Girls 11-12: Danica Horcica (Edmonton)

Girls 13-14: Sela Ogada (Calgary)

Girls 15-18: Saylar May (Rocky Mountain House)

Boys 11-12: Erik Petersen (Okotoks)

Boys 13-14: Solomon Tong (Heritage Pointe)

Boys 15-18: Charlie Gillespie (Calgary)

 

About Edge School: Edge School is a unique learning community for children in Grades 4-12 to pursue academic excellence while striving to reach their full athletic potential. We accommodate the training requirements of a wide range of sports and disciplines and offer high-performance training in basketball, dance, figure skating, fitness, golf, hockey, and soccer. Edge also offers a training environment for student-athletes in sports (luge, equestrian, skiing, swimming, tennis, etc.) that require a flexible schedule to meet their needs. For more information, visit edgeschool.com.

 

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