A pair of central Alberta golfers won in a playoff to decide the opening tournament in the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) season in Alberta.
Red Deer’s Raylee Denton shot 83 and 84 to tie Calgary’s Hannah Thomas in the MJT Global Sport Academy Spring Classic at Paradise Canyon Golf Resort in Lethbridge.
The 14-year-old from the Red Deer Golf and Country Club went on to win in a three-hole playoff last weekend to capture the girl’s U15 division.
“It feels really good to win today to start off the season,” Denton said in a media release.
“I kept a positive mindset throughout the harsh conditions this weekend and carried it on through the playoff.”
On the boy’s side, Innisfail’s Brae Rogalczyk, 16, edged Taber’s Lyndon Kuryvial in extra holes to take the juvenile boys division after finishing the tournament tied at 154.
“It feels very good to get back inside the winner’s circle after a lot of hard work, and some ups and downs,” said Rogalczyk.
Furthermore, 15-year-old Saylar May from Rocky Mountain House finished second behind Calgary’s Sydney Bisgrove in the girl’s 15-19 division.
May shot 76 and 75 to finish the two-round tournament with a score of 151, just four shots back from Bisgrove with 147.
With the golfer’s success at the tournament, Rogalczyk qualified for the MJT East Coast Junior Championship in Moncton later this summer.
Meanwhile, Denton qualified for the FCG Callaway World Championship, and May qualified for the World Stars Junior Golf Championship.
Over 115 players competed in the season-opening tournament which featured windy conditions up to 50 kilometres per hour. Both Red Deer’s Bennet Love and Sylvan Lake’s Coryn Tardiff also competed in the tournament but did not finish in the top three in their divisions.
Next up, the Alberta tour now shifts to Red Deer on May 11-12 for the MJT Edge School Spring Classic at River Bend Golf Club.