Two Playoffs Highlight MJT Mini Tour At Cheam Mountain
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2021-07-23
CHILLIWACK, British Columbia — Chilliwack, BC, was the site of the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s MJT Mini Tour at Cheam Mountain Golf Course, continuing a busy month of events on Canada’s number-one played junior golf tour. Young golfers between the ages of six and twelve were competing for titles in six divisions and an opportunity to earn spots into the prestigious MJT Mini Tour National Championship to be held in August.
The MJT Boys 11-12 Division needed extra holes to determine a winner as 12-year-old Ryan LePrieur, of Langley, BC, and 10-year-old Tiger Xie, of Surrey, BC, finished tied at the top with a score of 62. After making par on the final hole at Cheam Mountain to force a playoff, Xie completed the comeback, emerging victorious for his first Mini Tour win of the season. “My putting was a big part of my win,” commented Xie. “I feel really happy to win the division title and a big thank you to the MJT.” LePrieur, who is currently transitioning from the Mini Tour to the Junior Tour, finished in the runner-up position, while MJT newcomer Noah Reddicopp, 11, of Abbotsford, BC, finished third, just one shot behind with a score of 63.
There was another tie at the top of the leaderboard in the MJT Boys 8U Division between two aspiring MJT superstars. Eight-year-old Ray Chen, of Port Moody, BC, and six-year-old Everett Quewezance, of Kamloops, BC, both shot 69 to force a playoff. After Quewezance played his last two holes at even par to get into the playoff, he made another par save in the first playoff hole to secure his first ever MJT Mini Tour victory. “It feels very good to get the win,” commented Quewezance. “It’s exciting knowing that my hard work paid off.”
The MJT Boys 9-10 Division saw just one shot separate the top two competitors with a nail-biting finish. Winning the title was 10-year-old Port Moody golfer, Gordon Chen, who shot 64. “My putting from three to five feet was the key to my victory,” commented Chen, who cleaned up all his short putts at Cheam Mountain. “I’m very happy to win on the MJT.” Vancouver, BC’s young star, Tiger Zhao, 10, finished second with a score of 65.
Twelve-year-old Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon, of Vancouver, BC, took home the low overall girls score and MJT Girls 11-12 Division title with a score of 62 at Cheam Mountain. Kwon, who earned her second consecutive MJT Mini Tour victory in BC, will look to begin the transition onto the Junior Tour in the near future.
2020 MJT Mini Tour National Champion, Kathleen Dunn, of Surrey, BC, returned to the top of the MJT Girls 9-10 Division podium at Cheam Mountain, firing a score of 68 to win by five shots. The 10-year-old golfer has seen much recent success on the MJT Mini Tour and will look to begin making an early transition onto the Junior Tour over the next couple of years. “I always practice super hard for the MJT because the competition is great on the MJT,” commented Dunn. “It feels awesome to win because the players are so good.” Nine-year-old players Avva Nguyen, of Richmond, BC, and Chloe Zhang, of Vancouver, BC, tied for the runner-up position (73).
Seven-year-old Laura Zhao, of Vancouver, BC, continues to do well on the MJT Mini Tour as she shot 64 to win the MJT Girls 8U Division. “I love the MJT,” commented Zhao, who is playing her second full season on the MJT Mini Tour at just seven years old. “I didn’t get mad after hitting a bad shot and I worked extremely hard to get the win.”
Full results can be viewed here. The MJT BC 12U circuit next heads to Vancouver for the MJT Mini Tour Summer Series at Musqueam GC on July 28. More details can be found online at www.maplejt.com.
About the MJT
The non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour is Canada’s number one-played 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 valued Premier, Tournament and Product Partners. The MJT hosts close to 90 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.