Bad weather and a challenging golf course did not deter 19-year-old Justin Wood of Unity from repeating as MJT Junior Boys' 17-19 champion at the latest Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour event in Saskatchewan held at Deer Valley Golf and Estates in Deer Valley June 14 and 15.
Wood shot rounds of 72 and 76 for a two-day total of 148 in the rain-soaked MJT Team Canada Qualifier and Golf Saskatchewan Order of Merit Series tournament.
"The highlights were holing out two shots for eagle on the par fives," said Wood. "It feels good to win my first two starts of the year. I'm hopefully building momentum for a big summer."
Regina's Adam Schoettler, 19, finished second with a total score of 149. Corey Bailey, 17, of Shaunavon, placed third posting rounds of 75 and 79.
In the MJT Bantam Boys' 14 and under division, North Battleford's Kristian Houk's two-day total of 167 was good enough for a fourth place tie. The three top finishers in the division were all from Saskatoon. Fourteen-year-old Andrew Campbell's scores of 75 and 82 assured him victory over Steven Duchscher, 13, who carded back-to-back rounds of 81. Tian Rask, 14, finished third with a total score of 166.
Carson Harcourt, 16, of Kipling fired an opening round 77 followed by a 73 in the final round to win the MJT Juvenile Boys' 15-16 title.
"Making long putts for par and always believing I could come back after a bad hole were key to my victory," said Harcourt, who is now the eligible player to be shortlisted for MJT Team Canada and a trip to the SRIXON International Junior Classic in Australia this October. "It feels pretty sweet. It is my first MJT win and it feels good because I have had a couple of second place finishes."
Kade Johnson, 15, of Yorkton came in second with rounds of 77 and 80. Saskatoon's Matt Bean, 15, took third with a total score of 159.
Another repeat champion was 19-year-old Lisa Reid from Regina, who won her second MJT Girls' division title in as many starts this season with scores of 80 and 83.
"My personal highlight was on the fourth hole during the second round when I almost holed out," she said. "Key to my victory was consistent putting. The course is in excellent condition. It's a tough track, but a good one."
Second place for the girls' division went to Chloe Sies, 15, of Melville, followed by Amanda Gonsch, 19, of Silton in third.
The two-day tournament also featured skills competitions in each division. The Mr. Lube Long Drive was won by Chloe Sies, Kristian Houk, Saskatoon's Jordan Simpson and Adam Schoettler. The Sundog Eyewear closest to the pin was won by Josh Nagy of Saskatoon, Noah Kozack of Regina and Ryan Gilewich of Regina. Golf Town Comeback Awards for best second day improvement in score went to Courtney Wichihin of Sturgeon Lake, Tyrrell Littlechief of Carlyle, Noah Kozack and Blake Zimmer of Regina.
