Sylvan Lake's Ain Lee bounced back from a runner-up finish at her last event to win the Girls 11-12 division title at a Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) event this past weekend.
The 11-year-old finished with a strong round of 78 at the Collicutt Siding Golf Club in Crossfield on Sunday, June 1, where nearly 50 juniors aged 12 and under teed it up.
“It feels great. I’m glad that my efforts really worked. I’m also tired after golfing, but isn’t everyone?” Lee said in a MJT media release.
When asked which pro she’d love to tee it up with, Lee answered: “Either Nelly Korda or Lydia Ko, they are both amazing golfers and I could learn a lot from them.”
Battling gusty winds throughout the day, players vied for titles in six divisions as well as for spots in both the MJT Mini Tour National Championship in British Columbia and the World Stars of Junior Golf Championship in Las Vegas.
Twelve-year-old Jack Hamilton, of Calgary, AB, emerged victorious in the Boys 11-12 division with a round of 73, edging out the field by a single stroke. He finished with three birdies on the card.
Eight-year-old Carter Davies, of Calgary, delivered one of the most memorable moments of the day in the Boys 9-10 division, scoring a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th hole. Finishing a respectable eighth overall with a round of 80, Davies’ ace was one of the tournament highlights, along with a score of 9-under-par 63, recorded by 10-year-old Rylan Hryhirchuk, of Irma, the winner of the Boys 9-10 division.
Calgary’s Christi Zhu, nine, improved from her second-place finish at her last MJT event to win the Girls 9-10 division title with a round of 74, including a birdie and an eagle.
Eight-year-old Blake Widmer, of Edmonton, took home the Boys 8U division title after shooting a round of 71, featuring three birdies. Seven-year-old Ella Chan, of Edmonton, picked up her second straight Girls 8U division win with a round of 104.
The next 12U event in the province is the waitlisted MJT Mini Tour Spring Series at Blue Devil Golf Club in Calgary on June 7. For more information on the MJT and upcoming events, visit www.maplejt.com.
