Sylvan Lake’s Jaxon Lynn proved his worth among some of the country’s top junior golfers with a tied fourth-place finish at the 2014 Maple Leaf Junior National Championship in Phoenix, Arizona Nov. 15 and 16.
The invitation-only tournament saw Lynn, 17, competing against golfers from all across Canada. He held his own by shooting 72-72 at the two-day tournament at Phoenix’s Legacy Golf Club.
“It was good competition, because it was from all across Canada — it wasn’t just Alberta,” he said. “It was a cool experience.”
High-calibre tournaments aren’t anything new for Lynn, who’s competed in Calgary, Lethbridge, Banff, Medicine Hat and Niagara Falls, picking up no shortage of wins along the way — one of which arrived at provincials in early October.
A member of Team Alberta, he’ll continue hitting balls at an indoor driving range in Calgary throughout the winter, before heading to a tournament in Palm Springs, California in March.
Lynn attends HJ Cody School and is a member of the Sylvan Lake Golf and Country Club. A golfer since the age of 10, he’s got plans to play throughout university and eventually turn professional.
Though the tournament in Phoenix marked his last of the year, he’s already got his eye focused on next season.
“I like to take the winters off and just kind of work out and get ready for next season,” he said, adding the competition that exists among golfers is one of the things he likes most about the sport. “When you golf competitively, it’s usually the same guys you are playing against. You get to know people quite well.”
Throughout his competitive career, Lynn has had plenty of support from family, friends, neighbours and teachers, and he wants them to know he’s grateful.
His ‘poppa’ Ken Lynn was present for the tournament in Phoenix. Teachers, including HJ Cody athletics director Jason Chatwood, have been very accommodating with his sporting pursuits, he said, and have offered plenty of helpful advice.