A fine early fall Sunday was enjoyed by a packed field of junior golfers at Belmont Golf Club in Langley last Sunday, where they were competing for titles in eight divisions in the MJT Lindsay Kenney Classic One Day Fall Series.
“It’s encouraging for golf to see almost 90 young players come out at the end of the season,†said Neil Bidewell, tournament director on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour.
The Sept. 28 event was supported by Langley law firm and longtime MJT Sponsor, Lindsay Kenney LLP, and comprised players on the MJT Mini Tour for ages 12 and under, as well as players up the age of 19 on the regular Tour.
Mini Tour division winners were Stefanie Silva, 10, of Surrey, who won the MJT Atom Girls title with a fine score of 74 from modified tees; Victoria Liu, 11, of Vancouver, in MJT Peewee Girls (86 from the forward tees); Nathan Szpakowicz, 8, of Vancouver, in Atom Boys (75); and Freddy Sun, 10, of Vancouver, playing up a division in Peewee Boys (76).
Local favourite Willis Lee, 15, of Langley, fired an even-par 70 to win Low Overall and the MJT Lindsay Kenney Juvenile Boys 15-16 title.
“I made a birdie putt on the first hole, which was my personal highlight,†Lee said. “It feels great because it’s my first win on MJT.â€
Second place went to Owen Xiong, 16, of West Vancouver, (74), followed by a tie for third place one stroke back between Mitchell Thiessen of Chilliwack and Ben Whiton of Langley.
Guillaume Allouche, 17, of West Vancouver, scooped up his first MJT Lindsay Kenney Junior Boys 17-19 title after firing 76 to hold off a pack of players who came in just one stroke back, including Patrick Tan of Vancouver, Edward Metcalfe of Surrey, and Devin Kelly of White Rock.
“Devin Kelly got me worried with a 36 on the front – he had three birdies and I always knew his score since I was his marker,’ said Allouche. “I did my best to hit the fairways and have a clear second or third shot to the green. It feels great as this is my first MJT win and I am very excited about it!â€
It took three playoff holes to determine the MJT Lindsay Kenney Bantam Boys 14 and under winner as Khan Lee, 14, of Surrey, after he tied for the lead at 71 with Christopher Dale, 14, of Mission. Third place in the division was claimed by Raymond Li, 13, of Vancouver, who shot 72.
The MJT Lindsay Kenney Girls division winner was Sarah Lawrence, 16, of Duvall, Wash., after she carded a solid score of 77 to edge both Ashley Omidi, 16, of Surrey, and Phoebe Yue, 14, of West Vancouver, by one.
“Key to winning was making eight pars in a row on the front nine,†said Lawrence. “Ashley started to catch up to me but I tried to stay positive and not give up. It feels great – my first MJT win.â€
Winners in the Mr. Lube Long Drive Competition were Sharon Park of Surrey, Jerry Li of Vancouver, Michael Wang of Richmond, and Devin Kelly. In the Sundog Eyewear Closest-to-the-Pin Competition, the division winners were Michelle Cha of Surrey, Khan Lee, Josh Killins of Coquitlam, and Samuel Rowan of Vancouver.
The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s final stop in the province and last chance to earn order of merit points for funding assistance towards the MJT Boston Pizza National Championship at The Legacy Golf Resort in Phoenix, AZ, this November, is the MJT
Nationwide One Day Fall Series at University Golf Club in Vancouver on Oct. 4. For more information or to register visit www.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-4653.