Playoff Highlights Weather-Shortened MJT BC Mini Tour Finale At Guildford
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2021-09-11
SURREY, British Columbia — After a season that saw record participation of junior golfers ages 12 and younger, the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour concluded its BC Mini Tour season with the MJT Mini Tour at Guildford Golf Club in Langley. Four out of the six age divisions completed all 18 holes, however rain forced suspension of play after 14 holes for two of the divisions, Girls 9-10 and Girls 11-12.
The MJT Boys 11-12 Division needed extra holes to determine a winner after two players ended up tied at the top of the leaderboard. Langley, BC’s Ryan LePrieur, 13, and Surrey, BC’s Jason Yu, 11, both shot 80 to force a playoff. After losing his last two playoffs, LePrieur managed to cap off his last career Mini Tour event on his 13th birthday with a playoff win. “I felt really confident and good about my game going into the tournament,” commented LePrieur, who made the most out of his last MJT Mini Tour event. “My putting was my strength, but I also put my drives in the right places.”
In the MJT Boys 9-10 Division, nine-year-old Jackson Wang, of Surrey, BC, took home the victory with a score of 65. Wang, who has knocked on the MJT podiums all year long, finished off the year a two-shot win. Ten-year-old Tiger Zhao, of Vancouver, BC, after a runner-up finish at the MJT Mini Tour National Championship at Tsawwassen Springs two weeks ago, had to settle for another runner-up finish with a score of 67.
Eight-year-old Minxing Li, of Surrey, BC, won the MJT Boys 8U Division at Guildford Golf Club in style, shooting a score of 69. Li, who has played on the MJT Mini Tour for two years now, earned his first ever MJT Mini Tour win. Eight-year-old Ziping Chen, of Surrey, BC, recorded a score of 77 to finish the division in second place.
A tight contest took place in the MJT Girls 8U Division which Vancouver, BC’s Lucy Li won by just a single shot. The eight-year-old rising MJT Mini Tour star recorded a score of 81, good enough to inch out her third victory of the season. Li, playing in her first full year on the MJT Mini Tour in BC, earned three wins and two runner-up finishes in her five starts, a promising opening season on Canada’s number-one played junior golf tour. Eight-year-old Jody Li, of Burnaby, BC, recorded a score of 82 to finish runner-up.
In the MJT Girls 11-12 Division, where poor weather conditions shortened the tournament, 12-year-old Yeeun Kwon, of Vancouver, BC, carded a score of 58 over 14 holes, good enough for the division win. “I was a little nervous going into the tournament but found my confidence while I was on the course,” commented Kwon. “I felt very confident with my chipping and putting and that was why I was able to win.” Vancouver, BC, resident Alyssa Liu, 11, recorded a score of 63 over 14 holes to finish runner-up.
The MJT Girls 9-10 Division saw the same restriction with play ending after 14 holes. Surrey, BC’s Kathleen Dunn, 10, finished on top after 14 holes with a score of 60. “I kept a good attitude throughout the round and had lots of laughs with my coach,” commented Dunn. “I was nervous at the beginning but got a lot more comfortable and started having lots of fun.” Ten-year-old Satnam Gill, of Surrey, BC, recorded a score of 62 to finish runner-up.
Full results can be viewed here. This tournament marks the end of the 2021 MJT Mini Tour season in British Columbia. A 2022 Early Bird Membership Offer will be available this December and 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.