McLennan Ross Jr. Tour the place for youngsters to cut competitive teeth

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Category: Inside Golf

Published: 2017-05-26

By Gord Montgomery (iG)

WOLF CREEK GOLF RESORT — Now entering its 23rd season, the McLennan Ross Junior Golf Tour Presented by Crowe MacKay, continues to be the place for young players to cut their competitive teeth. After all, during its almost 500 event history, this tour has taken thousands of young players from learning how to compete in golf tournaments, and learning about themselves and how to deal with pressure situations, to the upper levels of competition on provincial, national and even international play.

Included in the strong list players now lining up on that girls’ side of the draw is a teen who has found this particular tour much to her liking. Brooke Brezovski, 13, who plays out of the Sturgeon Valley GC in St. Albert, has been a staple on the McLennan Ross Junior Golf Tour for the past three years and she likes what she’s seen.

“I really like that it’s just one-day events and as a really young golfer it’s a good way to start,” she commented on her immersion into the competitive stream. “You make new friends, have competition. Golf is a great game to have something to strive for. It challenges you. You always want to do better.”

One of the past graduates of the McLennan Ross Junior Golf Tour, Jennifer Ha, is now on the LPGA Tour. While it took a lot of work to get there, this tour was her starting point and from that, players like Brezovski say the Calgarian will serve as an inspiration of sorts for them going forward.

“Yeah, that’s something that I would want to do, yeah,” she commented.

As for her own game at this time, the young teen spoke with eloquence about the ups and downs of the sport in general. Her answer also speaks to how this tour helps young players adjust to pressure situations - both on the course, in life in general and in front of a microphone.

“I think, because obviously every day’s not going to be a good day, that it teaches you what to do next time. How to handle yourself. How to handle course management,” she stated.

As to the female side of the drawsheet, Brezovski, who captured the girls division at the Lacombe Junior Open last summer and finished seventh on the 2016 Srixon Order of Merit, had this to say about others becoming involved: “I would say that it’s a good place to start. Sometimes two-day tournaments for starters is a bit overwhelming. Here, if you have a bad day that’s just how it is and you learn from it. If it’s a good day, that gives you a confidence booster to not have those bad days. So in these one-day tournaments, it’s either a learning experience or a confidence booster.”

As for the season ahead, this young rising star feels that while she may have overdone things a bit last year she isn’t going to cut her playing schedule down a whole lot.

“I plan on playing quite a bit but last year I played in 22 tournaments,” she explained. “That was definitely a lot. I would like some more time (this year) to have more summer. I don’t want to get tired of the game. I’ll probably take it down a bit but I still do plan on playing quite a bit this year.”

In 2017, the McLennan Ross Junior Golf Tour will feature a total of 25 events including four stops - Innisfail, Lacombe, Nanton and Ponoka that have been on the schedule every year since the tour’s inception.

Here are the dates for this year’s events: May 27, Drayton Valley; June 24 - 25, Henderson Lake, Lethbridge; June 28, Whitecourt, June 29, Barrhead; July 4, Innisfail; July 10, McKenzie Meadows, Calgary; July 11, Carstairs; July 12, Olds; July 18, Whitetail Crossing, Mundare; July 19, Montgomery Glen, Wetaskiwin; July 20, Camrose; July 24, Pinebrook, Calgary; July 25, Country Hills, Calgary; July 27, Strathmore; July 31, Canmore; Aug. 2; Lacombe; Aug. 3 - 4, Goose Hummock, Gibbons; Aug. 8, Ponoka; Aug. 9, Edmonton Petroleum Club; Aug. 10, Trestle Creek, Entwistle; Aug. 14, Stony Plain; Aug. 15, Blackhawk, Edmonton; Aug. 17, Black Bull, Ma-Me-O Beach; Aug. 22, Nanton; Aug. 28, Tour Championship - Wolf Creek, Ponoka.

For more on the tour, how to enter and who’s eligible, go to mrossjrtour.com.