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Zhang Claims Low Overall in Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour's Alberta Opener
LETHBRIDGE, AB: A full field of junior golfers who came from as far away as Manitoba and Saskatchewan, as well as from all over Alberta, competed in the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s Alberta season-opener this past weekend at the Paradise Canyon Golf Resort in Lethbridge.
The two-day event, which was sponsored by 1st Choice Savings Credit Union, was a qualifier for the Future Collegian’s World Tour’s (FCWT) National Championship at PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA, May 28-30, 2005. Eligible for exemptions were the top finishers in each of the four divisions, aged between 11 and 18.
Dean Spriddle, former Canadian PGA Teacher of the Year and MJT tournament director for Alberta, found the conditions on the first day of competition quite typical for Lethbridge spring golf – very windy and difficult to score. Only three players in the exceptionally strong field were able to beat par with winds gusting to 70km at different times. Day two began with mild, calm, conditions perfect for scoring, however conditions changed throughout the day to rain and wind.
Dustin Zhang, 15, of Calgary, played flawless golf and carded scores of 68-68, holding Will Porter, 16, of Coaldale by three shots and claiming both the Boys 14-16 division title and overall low for the field. Porter, who shot 73-68, was battling hard down the stretch and applying pressure but in the end never gained on Zhang who “didn’t miss a shot coming in.”
“I took advantage of the easier holes and knew I had won only on the last hole,” said Zhang. “It gives me great confidence – I haven’t won in a while and I hope it snowballs.”
Mark Schurer, 16, of Calgary, placed third in the Boys 14-16 division behind Porter with scores of 75-70, followed by Darren Hupfer, 16, from Edmonton, in fourth place with his back-to-back rounds of 74-74.
In the Boys 17 and up division, Davis Poscente, 19, of Calgary, blitzed the Canyon with scores of 67-70, defeating Judd Blackwater, 17, of Lethbridge by five shots. “In the first round I didn’t miss,” said Poscente. “My strategy was to be aggressive and play short. On the 14th hole I made a 20-footer (putt) and knew I had it in my grasp. It’s great to start off the year with a win.”
Blackwater shot 70-72 followed by Brandon Markiw, 17, of Edmonton, who shot 74-70 to place third in the division. Fourth spot went to Mitchell Fox, 17, of Okotoks, who posted rounds of 75-71.
The closest match over the weekend was in the Boys 13 and under division, where Scott Lowe, 12, of Calgary, and Dallas Mengel, 13, of Watrous, Saskatchewan, battled back and forth and were within one shot of each other at the turn on the second day. Lowe eventually won by two strokes with a gutsy performance over the last couple of holes. “I stayed solid in the final round, didn’t hit my driver on any hole,” said Lowe, who posted scores of 78-74. “Dallas was right there the whole way. It means a lot to beat him, he is always a tough competitor.” Mengel shot 77-77.
Third place in the division was claimed by Carson Kallis, 12, from Red Deer, with scores of 77-80, and Sean Jedrusiak, 13, from Calgary placed fourth (83-77).
The Girls division was won with an unbelievable performance by Lethbridge’s Bari-Lynn Erais, 17, who scored 75-75 to defeat her closest competitor by 13 shots over the two days. “I played well in poor conditions,” said Erais. “I knew I had won by the 15th or 16th hole – it means a lot to win the first tournament.”
Runner-up to Erais was Juanita Rico, 15, of Calgary (85-78), followed by Breanne Neufeld, 15, of Coaldale (81-84) in third place and sister Denielle Neufeld, 17, in fourth spot (82-84).
Erais, Zhang, Blackwater and Lowe all qualify for the FCWT National Championship at PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, this May.
Division winners of the Mr. Lube Long Drive competition were Dallas Mengel, Jimmy Cowan, 16, of Calgary, Davis Poscente and Juanita Rico. Sundog Closest-to-the-Pin competition division winners were Tanner Hicks, 13, of Calgary, Kevin Bredy, 16, of Calgary, Scott Genoway, 17, of Calgary, and Ashley Nantes, 15, of Calgary.
The non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Tour, now in its 7th season, is presented by Boston Pizza and runs multi-day tournaments for young golfers from Vancouver to Halifax. The MJT is Canada’s only major junior tour run exclusively by Canadian PGA Professionals and is endorsed by PGA Tour veterans Dave Barr and Ray Stewart.
The next Alberta event is the MJT at Riverview Golf Club in Redcliff, April 23-24, a qualifier for the Callaway Golf Junior World Championships in San Diego, CA. The MJT 1st Choice Savings Series at Land-O-Lakes follows on May 7-8, which is a double qualifier for both the 53rd annual East Aurora International Junior Masters in New York this July and the Scotland Kingdom of Fife Team Matches in Fife, Scotland this August. Dean Spriddle will captain the latter team.
For more information or to register, please visit www.maplejt.com or call toll-free 1-877-859-GOLF.
Contact: Elaine Denton, Marketing & PR, MJT Phone: 604-943-1645 Email: edenton@maplejt.com
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