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Watch: Red Deer’s Cole Bergheim has high hopes for McLennan Ross Junior Tour season

Golf tour stops in Innisfail July 3, Olds July 11, Lacombe Aug. 1 and Ponoka on Aug. 7

Cole Bergheim still remembers when his grandpa set up a putting green in the backyard. He was only two but those early days of golf stick with him to this day.

That’s when he learned the finer aspects of the game and sharpened his short game at the Par 3 course in Red Deer.

“That’s where I got good,” he said.

Flash forward to today and the now 15-year-old is set to make a serious statement on the McLennan Ross Junior Golf Tour.

Bergheim spoke to the media Tuesday at Wolf Creek Golf Course in Ponoka as part of a teaser for the 23rd season of the tour, which gets underway in Lethbridge on June 16.

Bergheim, a Red Deer native, said he has a strong desire to compete for a title at the tour championship.

Last year, the Hunting Hills High School student, lapped the field in his age group winning the Titleist Order of Merit with 795 points and finishing 13th at the end of season event.

“(Last year) it went pretty good I got five or six wins at a lot of events. Did really well at the tour championship so I hope I can do that again,” he said.

Last season he estimated he played 98 rounds of golf, and hopes to squeeze in a few more this season.

The thing that keeps him going through all those rounds and practice is mostly a competitive drive and shooting a low score.

“When you’re playing good, feels good to get a couple birdies and when you’re putting well it makes everything better,” he said.

“(Tournaments) are a lot more fun than going out with your buddies.”

Although he plays hockey in the winter, Bergheim said ever since playing golf in the backyard as a toddler and graduating to the Par 3 course in Red Deer, he has had high hopes for his future in the sport including earning a scholarship in the United States.

Bergheim was joined by junior golfers, Fort Saskatchewan’s Jarrett Bossert, 17, and Jayla Kucy, 12, of Camrose, who was second in her age group last season for the Titleist Order of Merit.

“Last year I won two and hoping this year I can win four,” said Kucy. “I need to work on my irons and make them more straight. Work on chipping and short game.”

Kucy started playing golf when she was four, swinging a stick around while walking the course with her brothers and her dad.

“I like beating my brothers. It’s always a competition in our house. I beat them two days ago,” she said proudly.

Dunc Mills, Executive Director of The McLennan Ross Junior Golf Tour, said he believes Kucy has a serious future in the game.

“Maybe 10 years from now we’ll be talking about Jayla Kucy as an NCAA Champion,” he said.

Kucy has also competed at the famous Augusta National Golf Course in their annual Drive, Putt, and Chip Championship.

The McLennan Ross Junior Golf Tour will stop in Innisfail July 3, Olds July 11, Lacombe Aug. 1 and Ponoka on Aug. 7.

The Tour Championship will be held Aug. 27 at Wolf Creek Golf Resort in Ponoka.



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Members of the McLennan Ross Junior Golf Tour gathered at Wolf Creek Golf Resort in Ponoka for a media day on Tuesday to celebrate the 23rd season of the tour. (Photo by BYRON HACKETT/ Advocate Staff)


Byron Hackett

About the Author: Byron Hackett

Byron has been the sports reporter at the advocate since December of 2016. He likes to spend his time in cold hockey arenas accompanied by luke warm, watered down coffee.
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