Canada's #1 Junior Golf Tour

The Saskatchewan circuit of the non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT), Canada’s #1 Junior Golf Tour, had an extraordinary weekend with nearly 140 young golfers participating in the MJT Swift Current stop at Elmwood Golf and Country Club - a hugely impressive turnout in freezing cold and gusting winds up to 76km per hour.

 

Players were competing in either the Junior Tour three-day event on May 18 through 20, or in the Mini Tour event on May 18. Highlights of the latter event, in which close to 25 youth aged six to 12 took part, are detailed below.

 

Alyxa Melsted, 11, of Wynward, SK, and Keaton Kreklewich, 12, of Melville, SK, shot the low overall scores for the Girls and Boys divisions respectively. Each of the six division winners, if not already exempt, qualified for the MJT Mini Tour National Championship at Tsawwassen Springs Golf Club in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, this August. Scores from the top finishers and quotes from the winners are noted below. 

 

There are still openings in the next Mini Tour stop in the province, the MJT Mini Tour at Joanne Goulet Golf Course in Regina, SK, on July 14, 2024. To register or for more information, please visit the MJT website at www.maplejt.com.

 

 

1. Mae McTavish (8), Canora, SK | 92

Mae McTavish, 8, of Canora, SK, came out to compete in the MJT Girls 8U Division and shot a 92. “I feel very proud of myself,” said McTavish. “My six iron was working really well.”

 

1. Lila Skeates (10), Calgary, AB | 93

2. Brooke Sundquist (9), Calgary, AB | 104

3. Makinlee McCrystal (9), Regina, SK | 119
 

Traveling from Calgary, AB, Lila Skeates, 10, sailed to victory with an 11-stroke lead in the MJT Girls 9-10 Division. Lila shared that this win at her ‘first tournament of the year’ left her feeling ‘great!’

 

1. Alyxa Melsted (11), Wynyard, SK | 88        

2. Natalie Maunula (12), North Battleford, SK | 91    

3. Eva Gedak (11), Estevan, SK | 119

Alyxa Melsted, 11, of Wynyard, SK, carded a birdie on the final hole to help secure her win in the MJT Girls 11-12 Division. Reflecting on her performance, Melsted shared that she ‘had some bad holes, but started golfing better towards the end.’ 

 

1: Jozef Sierzycki (8), La Ronge, SK | 106

2. Austin Sundquist (6), Calgary, AB | 114

3. Jameson Fox (7), Herbert, SK | 135
 

Eight-year-old Josef Sierzycki, of La Ronge, SK, won the MJT Boys 8U Division title which was his second victory in as many starts this season. “(It was) tough and windy, but fun!” said Sierzycki. 

 

1. Cohen Bridge (10), Corman Park, SK | 83

2. Caleb O'Brien (10), Melville, SK | 84

3. Jackson Orr (9), Corman Park, SK | 85

In a very tight race amongst the top three finishers in the MJT Boys 9-10 Division, 10-year-old Cohen Bridge of Corman, SK, won the title. “It was a very tough battle,” noted Bridge. “In the end, I persevered, and the win felt really good.”

 

MJT Boys 11-12: Elmwood G&CC: Par 72, Ydg 5600
1: Keaton Kreklewich (12), Melville, SK | 77

2: Jace Munro (12), Swift Current, SK | 84

3: Dalton Stephens (12), Craik, SK | 88

Keaton Kreklewich, 12, from Melville, SK, successfully defended his title at the same event he won in 2023. He outplayed his competitors once again to claim the titles of Low Overall and MJT Boys 11-12 Division winner. “I feel good, and I struck the ball well,” stated Kreklewich. When asked what he could take away from this event, he said, “I had a bad stretch but (I) bounced back and made a couple birdies to finish.”

 

MJT Mini Tour National Championship: Keaton Kreklewich, Cohen Bridge, Lila Skeates (Jozef Sierzycki, Alyxa Melsted, and Mae McTavish have each qualified from a previous event)
 

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