An Eagle, Many Birdies Lead To Victory For Arnold And Park On MJT Mini Tour At Blue Devil
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2020-07-15
CALGARY, Alberta — The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour continued its 2020 Alberta Mini Tour circuit in Calgary on July 12, where junior golfers aged 12 and under from all across Alberta competed for titles in six divisions in the MJT Mini Tour At Blue Devil Golf Club. What started out as a beautifully sunny day turned into a battle against the conditions in the 18-hole event, with players facing gusting winds and cold temperatures towards the end of their rounds.
Nine-year old Jayden Arnold put on a show in the MJT Boys 9-10 Division. The Calgary-native fired a four-under 58 on the par 62 Blue Devil Golf Club making five birdies and an eagle. “It feels good to win on the MJT,” said Arnold about his first 2020 MJT Mini Tour title. “I played well, even when it got windy.”
The spotlight continues to shine on Red Deer, AB-golfer, Eileen Park, 11. Coming off a recent win on the junior tour at the MJT Alberta Series presented by SAIT Trojans Athletics at Paradise Canyon Golf Resort, Park turned up the heat again at Blue Devil Golf Club making seven birdies to shoot a three-under, 59, to win the MJT Girls 11-12 Division. “My strategy was to have a great short game,” commented Park who claimed to have spent much time working around the greens prior to the event.
The MJT Boys 11-12 Division saw an exciting finish take place right down to the very last hole between Calgary-golfer Max Lang, 12, and Banff, AB-player, Charles Greaves, 11. Greaves, who trailed most of the round, found his groove in the back nine making two birdies and an eagle on the last hole to put himself in contention. But it was Lang who birdied two of his last four holes including the 18th to hold on and win the division by one shot. “I just kept calm and had fun,” commented Lang. “I did a lot of practice [before the event] and i just kept going.” Lang and Greaves finished the competition in first and second place respectively firing 64 and 65.
Making her return to the MJT Mini Tour was nine-year old Aleah Shields-Rodipe, of Calgary, in the MJT Girls 9-10 Division. Shields-Rodipe carded a 66 to take her division title by two shots which included a back-to-back birdie-birdie finish on her 17th and 18th holes. When asked what she thought won her the tournament, Shields-Rodipe commented, “I practiced every day and worked hard.”
The MJT Boys 8U Division saw seven-year old Niko Tran shoot a 77 to win the title by five shots. The Calgary-resident took home his first MJT Mini Tour title. “My strategy was to listen to my caddy,” Tran was quoted as saying. “I was in the zone and played my hardest.”
Shooting an 85 in the MJT Girls 8U Division was Calgary’s Sedona Weitz. The seven-year-old golfer had a successful start to her first career MJT Mini Tour event and will be looking to continue her solid play in the upcoming events on the 2020 AB Mini Tour circuit. “I had a lot of fun and I was focused,” she quoted, after the event.
Full results can be viewed here. The next 12U stop in Alberta will take place on July 20 in Lethbridge - the MJT Mini Tour at Paradise Canyon Golf Resort. 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.