Kucy and Haydamack win McLennan Ross Junior Tour Championship

BY DUNC MILLS

Yesterday was the Silver Anniversary Tour Championship for the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour, but when 124 juniors from across the province had completed play at Wolf Creek Golf Resort, the day and the entire 2020 season felt like a golden moment.

Six months ago, who could have predicted how the golf industry as a whole and junior golf in particular would have experienced such a resurgence? From days back in March and April when we weren’t even sure we would HAVE a golf season in Alberta this year, the industry has enjoyed its best season in a decade or more.  Families and kids have been flocking to golf courses everywhere, and the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour rolled out a series of 22 tournaments all over Alberta so that young players could help sharpen their games with excellent competition on outstanding golf courses.

VIEW PHOTO ALBUM FROM TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP 

Facilities had to adjust how they presented themselves to players, and Alberta Golf as tournament organizers had to adjust how we could help run successful events while doing our utmost to keep participants safe. After a very busy summer, with sold out fields the order of the day tournament after tournament,  I would like to think that things turned out pretty well.

Wolf Creek Golf Resort  has been the host site for the Tour Championship since the Tour’s inception in 1996.

Owner Ryan Vold was a co-founder of the Tour, and even though Alberta Golf now operates the Tour, Ryan’s dedication and support of junior golf in Alberta remains unchanged. Thousands of junior golfers have earned their right to compete at the season-ending event over the last 25 years, and the Tour Championship trophy has many very well known names engraved on its face.  Jaclyn Lee, Tyler Saunders, Jennifer Ha, Ryan Swelin, and many more.  We have two more names to add to the trophy today, but only one new one.

Jayla Kucy of Camrose became the first three-time winner of the Tour Championship, as she completed her three-in-a-row streak of championships in very exciting style.

Locked in a battle with Jenna Burggeman of the Derrick Golf & Winter Club, Kucy was in fact a shot behind Jenna as the players arrived on the 17th tee.  Fairly calm early morning conditions had given way to more typical Wolf Creek weather with sunny skies, but very gusty conditions as all the players did a great job of battling through the winds.  Jayla’s par on 17 pulled the players even heading to the final hole, and when Kucy rolled in a 20-footer for birdie and Bruggeman made bogey, the three-peat was complete.  What an exciting finish!

WATCH VIDEO: 1 ON 1 INTERVIEW WITH JAYLA KUCY 

Brooke Brezovski of Glendale completed the podium with an 80 for her  3rd-place finish and rising star Eileen Park of Red Deer finished another shot back on 81.  Park is certainly going to be a player to watch in Alberta junior golf as she has already had a sensational year at the tender age of eleven!

While the junior boys’ division didn’t have quite the drama of the girls’ flight, the play was no less outstanding.  Zach Haydamack of Mickelson National GC in Calgary has really elevated his game this summer at age 15.  Haydamack finished T20 in the Alberta Open Championship in July on Wolf Creek’s Links Course competing against Alberta’s best professionals and adult amateurs, and he finished T4 last week at the Alberta Golf U-17 championship at Alberta Springs Golf Resort in Red Deer.  On Friday, Zach toured the Old Course at Wolf Creek in an outstanding even-par 70, three shots clear of clubmates  Braden O’Grady and Cole Ruelling of Windermere.  Considering the strong winds that most of the older junior boys played through during most of the day, that’s some great golf!

WATCH VIDEO: 1 ON 1 INTERVIEW WITH ZACH HAYDAMACK

Connor Czirjak of The Winston and Alberta Golf U-15 Champion Jon Vinge of Pinebrook finished T4 and both will be names to watch over the next few years.

The Titleist Order of Merit battles came down to the wire in all three boys’ divisions. Jayla Kucy had clinched the girls’ OOM title prior to yesterday, but with points doubling at the Tour Championship, several players entered the day in contention for the boys’ age group titles. Form held in the flight for boys born in 2001-2003 as leader Cole Ruelling widened his margin of victory by finishing tied for 1st in his age group on the day. In the flight for boys born in 2004-05, Josiah Tong of Heritage Pointe held a narrow 40-point lead over Sirocco’s Jeremy Hart to start play, and when Tong finished out of the top six, and Hart ended up solo 5th, the 40 points he earned left the two players in a dead heat from their summer’s efforts.  In the flight for boys born in 2006 & later, on-site yesterday in the heat of the moment, I had mistakenly announced that Ryan Garbutt had edged Scott Levey for the OOM title by a razor-thin 5 points.  Ryan DID win the OOM, but while Scott was awarded 1st-place prize money on the day by virtue of a comparison of scorecards ( he had a better back 9, 41 to 42), to decide the OOM ties, unless there is an on-course playoff, as in for overall first place for a tournament, the OOM points are split equally for any ties in the top six placings.  I will do up the final OOM standings over the weekend, but I wanted to explain this here in the write-up to alleviate any confusion over the matter for the players.  The correct player did win, but the margin was the 75 points that Ryan held to start the day, not 5 points as announced at the event. Sorry about the mix-up, everyone!

Throughout the year, we generally have listed only the top six and ties in each age division, mostly due to time constraints to get the results up on the Alberta Golf website as quickly as possible after the tournaments.  Today, we are going to list the scores of every player who competed yesterday, not because we are trying to embarass any youngster who maybe had a bad day on a very difficult golf course, but to recognize and celebrate their achievements of qualifying for the Tour Championship in the first place.  There were hundreds of juniors all over Alberta who gave it their best efforts in tournaments all summer who didn’t make it to Wolf Creek, but their participation and efforts deserve our applause as well as those players who made the trip to Wolf Creek on Friday.

We will do a full Year in Review report in due course as we chart what might be ahead for the Tour and junior golf in general in Alberta, but for now, here are yesterday’s results.

 

OVERALL TOP TWENTY

1. Zach Haydamack                      Mickelson National          70

T2. Cole Ruelling                          Windermere                      73

T2. Braden O’Grady                      Windermere                     73

T4. Connor Czirjak                        The Winston                    74

T4. Jon Vinge                                Pinebrook                         74

T6. Aidan Fong                             Country Hills                   75

T6. Greg Gurba                             The Quarry                      75

T6. Jeremy Hart                            Sirocco                             75

T9. Nate Kasowski                        PPC                                   76

T9. Daniel Humbke                       Lacombe                        76

T9. Rory Wutzke                           Camrose                          76

T9. Christian Hansen                  River’s Edge                    76

T9. Colin Pasitney                        St. Paul                            76

14. Mason Kucy                           Camrose                           77

T15. Blake Reimer                       Windermere                    78

T15. Spencer Florchuk                Ft. Saskatchewan            78

T17. Kennedy Bailey-Borges      Windermere                      79

T17. Sebastian Berube               Priddis Greens                  79

T17. Braeden Van Dusen           Lethbridge CC                 79

T17. Aneesh Kaura                     Pinebrook                         79

T17. Scott Levey                         Belvedere                         79

T17. Ryan Garbutt                     Windermere                     79

 

BOYS BORN IN 2001-2003

T1. Cole Ruelling                       Windermere                      73

T1. Braden O’Grady                  Windermere                      73

3. Greg Gurba                           The Quarry                         75

T4. Nate Kasowski                    PPC                                     76

T4. Rory Wutzke                       Camrose                             76

6. Mason Kucy                          Camrose                             77

T7. Blake Reimer                      Windermere                     78

T7. Spencer Florchuk               Ft. Saskatchewan           78

9. Kennedy Bailey-Borges       Windermere                    79

T10. Tai Robichaud                   The Hamptons               80

T10. Erik Bouck                         Camrose                           80

T10. Ethan Couch                     Glendale                            80

T13. Quinn Laidlaw                 The Winston                     81

T13. Devin Kucy                       Camrose                            81

T15. Ben Lovrod                       Grande Prairie                 83

T15. Nolan Edwards                 River’s Edge                     83

T17. Jacob Dorton                    Desert Blume                    84

T17. Spencer Drummond         Canyon Meadows           84

T19  Brennan Tailfeathers        Paradise Canyon            86

T19. Owen Lai                          RedTail Landing                86

21. Bailey Butz                          Ft. Saskatchewan              87

T22. Connor MacLeod            Sylvan Lake                       89

T22. Braeden Petro                 Lethbridge CC                    89

24. Hayden Prins                     Goose Hummock                90

24. Thijs van Lankvelt             Wintergreen                        91

24. Blake Hammel                    Ft. Saskatchewan              92

T27. Nathan Mochulski            The Quarry                         93

T27. Tyler Lau                            Derrick                                93

29. Brody Theophile                 Stony Plain                        102

 

BOYS BORN IN 2004-2005

1. Zach Haydamack                  Mickelson National           70

T2. Connor Czirjak                   The Winston                       74

T2. Jon Vinge                             Pinebrook                           74

T4. Aidan Fong                          Country Hills                     75

T4. Jeremy Hart                         Sirocco                              75

T6. Christian Hansen                River’s Edge                     76

T6. Colin Pasitney                     St. Paul                              76

T8. Braeden Van Dusen            Lethbridge CC                 79

T8. Sebastian Berube               Priddis Greens                 79

T8. Aneesh Kaura                     PInebrook                          79

11. Ethan Howes                       Ft. Saskatchewan              80

11. Reid Casavant                     Westlock                             81

T13. Kylin Fraser                       The Winston                      82

T13. Brandon Lailey                  The Winston                      82

T15. Matthew Mayowski           Drayton Valley                 83

T15. Josiah Tong                        Heritage Pointe                 83

17. Brady Bruns                          Lacombe                            84

T18. Quinn Brown                     Edm. Petroleum Club     85

T18. Jace Shannon                   Forestburg                         85

T18. Jaden Patel                       Inglewood                          85

T18. Cooper Chalcroft             Country Hills                      85

T18. Wyatt Bishop                   Desert Blume                    85

T22. Kye Fisher                       Leduc                                   87

T22. Nathan Piers                   Riverside                            87

24. Carson Conger                  Inglewood                          91

T25. Kole Keenas                    Strathmore                        92

T25. Sahaj Klair                      RedTail Landing                92

T27. Ryker Flikinger              Pine Hills                            93

T27. Ben Lehmann                 Willow Park                       93

29. Aiden McGilvery               Two Hills                           94

29. Evan Williams                   Silver Creek                       97

29. Cooper Joy                         Wainwright                       99

 

BOYS BORN IN 2006 & LATER

T1. Scott Levey                          Belvedere                        79

T1. Ryan Garbutt                      Windermere                   79

3. Christan Flick                        Carnmoney                    81

T4. Shay Anderson                    Pheasantback               82

T4. Cole Phillips                         Willow Park                  82

T6. Zach Lehmann                     Willow Park                  83

T6. Mateo Kern                          Canyon Meadows         83

T6. Ryan Badger                        RedTail Landing           83

T6. Jalen Apedoe                       Serenity                          83

T6. Kohen Yeske                        Valley Ridge                  83

T11. Jace McFaul                       RedTail Landing           86

T11. Jake Brooks                        Innisfail                         86

T13. Owen Bruins                       Desert Blume               87

T13. Lyndon Kurvial                  Lethbridge CC              87

T13. Chris Colberg                      Valley Ridge                 87

16. Patrick McLarty                     Carnmoney                 89

T17. Jared van Hecke                 Ft. Saskatchewan        92

T17. Payton Benneweis              Edmonton CC              92

T17. Saahir Sharma                    Edmonton CC              92

20. Ryan Zhang                           Windermere                 93

T21. Brae Rogalczyk                     Olds                             94

T21. Chase Lassman                    Stony Plain                  94

T21. Harley Mohr                        Ft. Saskatchewan        94

T24. Chase Strang                       Woodside                     95

T24. Russell Quinn                      Wainwright                   95

26. Parker Evans                          Royal Mayfair               96

T27. Brady Weiss                         Links at Spruce Grove 97

T27. Cole Serdachny                    Windermere                 97

29. Peter Hlushak                        Windermere                 99

 

JUNIOR GIRLS

1. Jayla Kucy                                Camrose                       74

2. Jenna Bruggeman                    Derrick                       76

3. Brooke Brezovski                     Glendale                    80

4. Eileen Park                                Red Deer                    81

T5. Emily Cornwall                        Springbank Links    83

T5. Kaitlyn Wingnean                    Derrick                      83

7. Brynne Davies                          Earl Grey                       85

T8. Belle Brezovski                      Glendale                        86

T8. Jade Carter                             Pinebrook                     86

T10. Kalee Seto                            Royal Mayfair               88

T10. Tessa Ion                              Pinebrook                     88

T10. Zoe Banack                          Edson                            88

T13. Tasha Wallace                       PPC                              89

T13., Kali Yeske                            Valley Ridge                89

T13. Kristine Dixon                       Lynx Ridge                 89

16. Carla van Remmen                Pinebrook                    90

17. Saylar May                             Pine Hills                       91

18. Serin Girard                            River Bend                    92

T19. Ella Gifford                           Coloniale                       93

T19. Nicole Rohr                          Camrose                        93

21. Justine Leon                            Lakeside                      94

T22. Brooklyn Campbell                Didsbury                   95

T22. Taylor Foord                          Woodside                   95

24. Ellie Johnson                           Derrick                        98

25. Cici Zhang                               Lynx Ridge                   99

T26. Sarah York                            Belvedere                    103

T26. Olivia Leung                          The Winston              103

28. Sydney Chuong                       The Winston                104

29. Aliyah Hull                               Lakeside                       106

30 Neige Dunn                              The Hamptons              116

31. Samantha Lin                          Jagare Ridge                119

2020 FINAL ORDERS OF MERIT

The Old Course at Wolf Creek Golf Resort has been the site of the Alberta Golf McLennan Ross Junior Tour Championship since the Tour’s inception in 1996. Site of many major Alberta Golf, Golf Canada and Mackenzie Tour –PGA Tour Canada events over the years, Wolf Creek has consistently ranked in the Top 50 courses in Canada as ranked by SCORE Golf.