Over 90 junior golfers with many planning to attend the Saskatchewan Junior Championships took part in the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) event in Lloydminster this past weekend.
In the junior women’s age groups, both Youran Zhu and Tayla Perry picked up their second championships of the MJT season.
Perry took the 15 to 19 age group with a 36-hole score of 158 (82,76), holding off Sarah Henderson of Saskatoon. Henderson was three strokes off the lead at 161, Kyle’s Chloe Wills also made the podium in third with rounds of 81 and 85.
Zhu won the under-15 age category with a two round score of 174 thanks to rounds of 82 and 92. Natalie Maunula of North Battleford was second at 195.
The under-13 men’s division was won by Hudson Deibert of Regina. The 10-year-old outlasted Cohen Bridge (Corman Park) and Caleb O’Brien (Melville) to win the age group by five strokes.
Austin Nesbitt has another bantam (under-15) win on his impressive junior resume. The Pilot Butte product shot 75 and 79 for a 10 shot win over Cooper Roberge of Lloydminster and Lumsden’s Ryker Schmidt.
Mason Kuryvial of Taber, Alta. placed fourth, a shot behind the runners-up.
Taking the overall championship was Sucker River junior Dade Bernatchez who collected his first overall MJT win. Bernatchez shot 80 in round one and 78 in the second round just getting past Regina’s Aiden Walker by two shots.
Walker opened with an 83 and responded with a 77 on day two but couldn’t quite track down Bernatchez. Placing third in the under-19 age group was Graydon Vogelsang of Saskatoon, he was at 161 (78,83).
Regina’s Kai Kriekle who plays at the Wascana Country Club tied Preston Buchner for fourth overall, but Kriekle’s 163 was enough to claim the under-17 division that plays the same yardage as the under-19 division.
Plenty of pressure was behind Kriekle over the two days, Cohen Hepburn of Saskatoon and Finn Silver from North Battleford each posted scores of 164 to tie for second in the age category.
For complete results of the event click here.
Next up on the Saskatchewan Junior Order of Merit Tours (OMT) is the NextGen Prairie Championship in Warman at The Legends Golf Club from June 13 to 15.
To see the updated OMT standings click here.
All photos courtesy Jeff Chambers