The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) was in Elk Ridge this week for a 36 hole event ahead of the Junior Lobstick at Waskesiu.

The overall women’s champion was Grace Odnokon of Saskatoon. The 14-year-old shot 80 and 76 on Saturday and Sunday for a two round total of 156. The Saskatoon Golf and Country Club member won the under-15 girls age group by 16 shots. She was also six strokes lower than Chloe Wills, who was the under-19 age division champion at 162 with back-to-back 81’s.

Sienna Taylor of Saskatoon was second in the under-15 age group, Zhu Youran was third.

Sarah Henderson of Saskatoon placed second in the under-19 age group, Li Ino was third.

In the men’s championships, Ayden Ross of Swift Current paced the field and won with a two round score 147 (76, 71). Ross was the under-17 champion, and held off under-19 champion Ben Staines to take the overall victory.

Brady Guenther (Saskatoon) and Ethan Hunter (Casa Rio) tied for second overall, just a shot behind Ross.

Staines was two strokes behind Ross while winning the under-19 age group.

Dante Gamble of Duck Lake and Griffin Blanch from Saskatoon each shot 150, they tied for fifth overall and fourth in the juvenile age division.

Justin Miller of Saskatoon was third in the under-19 category, Hudson Heistad of Avonlea rounded out the top three of the junior division.

In the under-15 age group, 13-year-old Pilot Butte shooter Austin Nesbitt snagged his first bantam win of the year. The Wascana Country Club member shot impressive rounds of 71 and 69 to edge out North Battleford player Shae Maunula.

Swift Current’s Matty Schmiess rounded out the top three.

In the under-13 age group, Adam Stepaniuk of Georgetown, Grand Cayman won the event with a score of 158, Craik product Dalton Stephens was second.

The complete results can be found here. The Junior Order of Merit Tour (OMT) standings are also up to date.

The Junior OMT continues this week with the Junior Lobstick in Waskesiu that started on Monday, Aug. 12.

*All photos courtesy Jeff Chambers

The popular Frametech Classic was held at TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club over the August long weekend.

In the women’s division, Estevan golfer Paige Wheeler was the champion with a 36-hole score of 167. She earned 500 points on the Order of Merit Tour.

Joyce Kuchinka was second overall (31-over par, 175), Tenille Wilhelm was third at 42-over par, 186.

The full ladies results can be found here.

Taking the men’s championship was Regina resident Mitch Matichuk in a playoff over local shooter Jace Carlisle. Each player shot 215 over 54-holes, but the Royal Regina Golf Club member ended up claiming the title.

Shawn McNall of Regina and Dallas Lequyer from Carlisle rounded out the podium tied for third at 216.

Matichuk picked up 750 points in the men’s OMT race.

Weyburn’s Rick Hallberg ran away from the field in the seniors championship winning by an unimaginable 24 shots picking up 750 OMT points in the process.

The Golf Kenosee member was 7-under par for the event, Tony Heath was the next closest player at 17-over par.

James Gordon and Dean Lequyer tied for third.

The complete men’s results can be found here.

The Canadian Amateur Men’s Championship at Riverside Country Club continued Wednesday with a pair of Saskatchewan players left in the field.

Alex Swinnerton and Tommy Danielson, both members at the club continued their national championships after making the cut Tuesday for the first time in their amateur careers.

Swinnerton shot 4-over par, 76 in round three, overall through 54 holes he’s tied for 55th at 2-over par.

Danielson posted a 3-over 75 in the third round, he’s at 4-over par and tied for 65th place.

He spoke after the round.

Tyler Mahwhinney leads the championship at 12-under par.

The event will conclude Thursday afternoon. Swinnerton will tee off at 8:30 a.m. on hole 10, Danielson will also start on 10 at 9:20.

All the results and Thursday’s championship draw can be found here.

Alex Swinnerton and Tommy Danielson have surpassed their first goals at the Canadian Amateur Men’s Championship, make the cut.

Swinnerton, a Riverside Country Club member opened the championship at his home course Monday, he shot 3-under par, 69 and sat tied for 14th place. Tuesday in round two at Saskatoon Golf and Country Club he posted a 1-over par 73, to sit at 2-under par, a number he thought a safe to make the cut even with an early tee time on day two.

Swinnerton spoke about the 36 holes and making it Riverside for the final two rounds.

The nervousness was likely longer lived for Danielson on Tuesday, rather than Swinnerton.

With Danielson off the course at 1-over par around 1:30 p.m., he waited until the 7 o’clock hour to see he made the cut on the number and will join Swinnerton back at his home course for Wednesday’s and Thursday’s final rounds.

Team Saskatchewan consisting of Luke Cote (Regina), Chase Pochylko (Saskatoon), and Danny Klughart (Prince Albert) placed sixth in the Willingdon Cup (inter-provincial) Championship.

The complete results can be seen here.

Justin Miller has only been golfing a couple years, but the Saskatoon product’s athleticism has landed him a college golf commitment.

Miller, 17, will attend Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa starting in the fall.

During COVID-19, Miller said golf was the “only thing to do,” so he got a membership at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, played “about 100 rounds a year” and now has elevated to a college player.

He played in his first Golf Saskatchewan Junior Men’s Championship this summer in Yorkton, placing 40^th overall. Miller still has another year left to play the under-19 championship next year in Lloydminster, where he hopes to place higher.

Miller spoke with Golf Saskatchewan about the commitment, his start in golf, jumping to competitive golf and what his future looks like in the classroom.

The field is now set for the 2024 Canadian Amateur Men’s Championship at Riverside Country Club and Saskatoon Golf and Country Club.

The final qualifier was held Friday at Riverside with eight spots in the event still open, six were snatched by Saskatchewan players.

Max Regier (Saskatoon), Carter Bell (Saskatoon), Noah Kozack (Regina), Justin Kowal (Saskatoon), Will Blake (Regina), and Carter Degelman (Saskatoon) all earned a birth courtesy their play on Friday. Just Regier and Bell, both Riverside members shot in the red, Regier was 4-under par to set the pace.

Calgary’s Guillermo Salazar was also one of the qualifiers, he played junior golf at Waskesiu and is a college teammate of Alex Swinnerton, who will also be in the field beginning Aug. 5.

In total 23 Saskatchewan players will compete in the championship that runs Monday to Thursday.

The Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour concluded a busy July on the Saskatchewan Junior Order of Merit Tours (OMT) at Moon Lake Golf and Country Club this week.

Grace Odnokon was the under-15 women’s winner, and overall champion with a 36-hole score of 146.

Miranda Merriman (La Ronge) and Kaden Meyer of Swift Current were second and third.

In the 15-19 year-old category, Tayla Perry of Regina was six shots lower than Ino Li of Saskatoon. Perry shot 84 and 80, Li went back-to-back 85.

Tying for third place at 170 was Claire Kosofski of Kindersley and White Rock, B.C. golfer Poppy Hudye.

In the under-13 men’s division, Keaton Kreklewich of Melville was the top player of the four in the age group. The 12-year-old shot 80 and 74.

The under-15 men’s age group had 35 players in the field. Shae Maunula of North Battleford outlasted them all including three young shooters all within three shots.

Maunula posted a 146 (70-76), edging Matty Schmiess of Swift Current by one shot, Brandon’s Hunter Oakden by another stroke, and Cohen Hepburn found himself in fourth at 149.

Saskatoon’s Hudson Diederichs rounded out the top five at 152 (75-77).

Brady Guenther of Saskatoon is the junior men’s overall champion and under-17 winner with a two-day score of 144. An opening day score of 69 helped the 16-year-old hold off Aricin Franklin by a shot.

Lincoln Rogers of Prince Albert was third in the under-17 age group, that was Dane Giesbrecht’s score, the Warman product was the under-19 champion after rounds of 73 and 74 at Moon Lake.

Hudson Heistad of Avonlea and Makstyr McIntyre of Swift Current were second and third in the under-19 category.

The full results can be found here. Next on the MJT schedule in Saskatchewan is in Elk Ridge on Aug. 10 and 11.

*Images courtesy Jeff Chambers

Team Saskatchewan consisting of Alex Schmidt, Lauren Fox, and Chloe Wills will return from the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship with a sixth place inter-provincial finish and memories of Royal Colwood Golf Club.

The trio showed well in Victoria, B.C. this week, but none of the three competitors made the cut at the event that started on Tuesday.

Ontario took the Team Championship.

Regina’s Schmidt was the top local shooting 79 and 80 in rounds one and two, the Royal Regina Golf Club member was six shots behind the cut line of 9-over par.

Wills was competing in her second straight national event after playing in the Canadian Junior Girls Championship in Vancouver, the Kyle product shot 88 and 79.

Fox, who resides in Creighton carded an 82 and an 88 at the championship that continues to Friday.

To see the complete results, click here.

The annual Saskatchewan Women’s Rosebowl (4-Ball) Championship will be held at Harbor Golf and RV Park in August with eligibility being expanded for competitor’s World Handicap System (WHS) Index.

In the years past of the over half-century old event, a players’ WHS had to be no lower than 16.5 and as a team the WHS couldn’t be higher than 72.4. To hopefully expand the field and get more women competing in the event, Golf Saskatchewan lowered the WHS requirements to 15 index for one player.

For all the details of the event, see below.

INFORMATION:

• On this link you will find the Women’s 4-Ball or Rosebowl Championship link
  • Competitions – Golf Saskatchewan
• Direct link to the Women’s Rosebowl
  • 2024 Saskatchewan Women’s Rosebowl Event :: How do I register? (golfgenius.com)
• Accommodations:
  • Sarah’s Cover Condo rentals
  • Lakeview Lodge – 10-15 units
  • Sunset Suites and RV – 10-15 units
  • Take a look at this link to see accommodations near Harbor Golf Course. https://www.harborgolfclub.com/our-community
    • (Note all the telephone numbers are listed on the link)
• Eligibility:
  • All players must be a member of Golf Canada or other recognized Golf Union.
  • The Women’s Rosebowl Championship is open to amateur females and individuals identifying as transgender and/or non-binary. 
  • The minimum combined team handicap factor shall be 30.0 and the maximum team handicap factor shall not exceed 72.4.
  • No individual player’s handicap factor may be lower than 15.0. If a player’s handicap factor changes downward before registration date, an alternate golfer with a handicap factor of 18.1 or over, must be substituted or the team may be disqualified. 
  • All competitors must present a valid 2024 Golf Canada/Golf Saskatchewan membership card (or other recognized golf association/union) and a verification of Handicap Index to the Golf Saskatchewan Tournament Committee at the registration desk prior to the start of play in the tournament.  Failure to do so may result in disqualification. **Includes the Golf Canada App.
  • Handicap factor must be updated within 15 days of the championship, signed and verified by the handicap chair, and must include a scoring record with a minimum of 5 round of 18 hole games.
• Format
  • 36 Holes Net Stroke Play 2 Ball – Better Ball.
• Cart
  • Competitors are required to make their own cart arrangements with the golf course.
  • Not included in the price of registration
• Cost
  • $388.50 (Taxes included)

To register for the 2024 Rosebowl, click here.

Progress is continuing for the group(s) behind a new golf course in Saskatchewan’s northwest.

Last summer, a group of northwest Saskatchewan area First Nations signed a memorandum of understanding to further investigate the construction of an 18-hole golf course just south of Ile-a-la Crosse on Highway 155.

More plans and early development has continued, and in June the stakeholders held a meeting discussing the updates and plans.

Golf Saskatchewan was there and spoke with Chief Executive Officer of the Sakitawak Development Corporation Tyler Morin and Course Designer Graham Cooke at Dakota Dunes Golf Links, fittingly a course constructed by Cooke and his illustrious team.