Card’s 66 & Xing’s 68 Highlight Low Scores In MJT TaylorMade Junior Championship At Grey Silo
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- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2021-07-28
WATERLOO, Ontario — Canada’s number-one played junior golf tour held the MJT TaylorMade Junior Championship at Grey Silo Golf Club in Waterloo, ON, where a heavily wait-listed field competed for titles in six divisions, vying for points on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s Order of Merit presented by RBC to qualify for the MJT National Championship presented by TaylorMade and adidas Golf later this season.
Several low scores were recorded, firstly in the MJT Peewee Boys Division, where Cambridge, ON, golfer Brayden Card, 12, turned up the heat on day two to fire 75 and 66 (141), making 10 birdies for the tournament and playing the second round at six-under par. “I felt good going into the tournament,” commented Card. “To come out and shoot 66 and get the win feels absolutely amazing.” Markham, ON, golfer Andy Dai, 11, shot 75 and 69 (144) to finish in the runner-up position.
Secondly, Michelle Xing, 13, of Richmond Hill, ON, playing up a division in MJT Girls 15-19, brought out her “A” game after carding an opening round 77 and fired an excellent closing round of 68 to finish with a two-day total of 145, good enough for a four-shot victory. Xing, who saw herself in a two-shot deficit going into day two, made five birdies to surge back up the leaderboard and take home the MJT TaylorMade Girls 15-19 championship title. “I was nervous going into the tournament,” mentioned Xing, who found the fairways and greens, but struggled to capitalize on her chances on the first day. “I’m so happy to win and shoot a new personal best on the MJT.” Oakville, ON, player Julia Alexander-Carew, 15, carded 75 and 74 (149) to finish in second place.
The MJT Girls U15 Division saw a tightly-packed leaderboard with only five shots separating the top six competitors. Winning the MJT TaylorMade Girls U15 championship title with scores of 71 and 76 (147) was 13-year-old Angela Cai, of Oakville, ON. Cai made three birdies in her opening nine holes on the second day and held on to the very end for a one-shot victory. “My putting and chipping didn’t start out very well,” she said. “My iron play was good and my putting and chipping at the end got better.” Finishing in the runner-up spot was 11-year-old Nobelle Park, of Oakville, ON, with scores of 75 and 73 (148) and rounding out the podium in third place was 12-year-old Shauna Liu, of Maple, ON, with scores of 78 and 71 (149).
Spencer Jackson, of Bracebridge, ON, fired rounds of 78 and 73 (151) to come from behind and to win the MJT TaylorMade Junior Boys 17-19 division. Jackson, who is playing his fourth year on the MJT, entered the winner’s circle for the first time, picking up his first ever MJT title. “I was very pleased with my course management,” commented Jackson, who used his strengths to his advantage at Grey Silo Golf Club. “I was able to play well in the howling winds and it feels amazing to get the win.” Runner-up was Whitby, ON, resident Matteo Ramzan, 18, who recorded rounds of 77 and 76 (153).
Kaylan Lecompte, 16, of Guelph, ON, earned the MJT TaylorMade championship title in the MJT Juvenile Boys Division after finishing with scores of 75 and 77 (152). Lecompte, who is playing his first year on the MJT, has seen a steady improvement in his game this season and has now entered the winner’s circle. “I felt like my iron play and putting were dialed in for the tournament,” he stated. “It feels good to get the win and build some confidence moving forward.” Sixteen-year-old Dylan Weber, of Guelph, ON, recorded scores of 81 and 73 (154), climbing up the leaderboard on the second day to finish as runner-up just two shots behind.
The MJT TaylorMade Bantam Boys champion was 14-year-old Jack Myers, who scored a two-shot victory (78-76=154). The Toronto, ON, golfer sat tied for the lead after the first day of the competition and kept things steady on day two to get the win. “I missed a couple of short putts to start the second round, but I was able to turn it around,” commented Myers, when asked about overcoming any challenges on the golf course. “I definitely think my driver was the best part of my game as I always put myself in great places to score.” Kitchener, ON, golfer Xavier Bernier (78-78), 14, and Toronto, ON, golfer Bo Dong (83-73), 12, finished the division tied for second place with two-day scores of 156.
The MJT Ontario Junior Tour circuit next heads to Uxbridge for the MJT G&G Prodigy Series at Mill Run Golf Course on July 29 and 30. More details can be found online at www.maplejt.com.
About TaylorMade Golf Company
Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, TaylorMade Golf is a leading manufacturer of high-performance golf equipment with industry-leading innovative products like SIM metalwoods, SIM irons, TP5/TP5X golf balls and Spider putters. A major force on the PGA TOUR, TaylorMade has an unrivaled athlete portfolio that includes Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Jon Rahm, Rickie Fowler, Matthew Wolff, Collin Morikawa, Nick Taylor and Michael Gligic.
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.