.……..George Bernard Shaw.

Truer words were never spoken, as youth was certainly served today over the sun-drenched fairways and greens at RedTail Landing Golf Club at Nisku.  A sold-out field of 73 junior golfers from as far away as Grande Prairie, Ft. McMurray and Calgary dropped in for today’s latest stop on the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour.

The most startling result was turned in by Eileen Park of the Red Deer GCC, who fired a fine 77 to capture the Junior Girls’ division.

While the score in and of itself wasn’t overly remarkable, it certainly was when you consider that this tiny dynamo of talent is all of ELEVEN  years old!  I remember a young Wil Bateman being the first ( and still only) 11-year-old to capture the boys’ division at a McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour event at Goose Hummock Golf Resort over 15 years ago, firing a 73 that day, and this young girl’s score today was equally impressive.  Playing off of an 8 handicap in Red Deer, this youngster made her first-ever McLennan Ross event a very memorable one, indeed.  Two-time defending Tour Champion Jayla Kucy of Camrose was in the field today, finished T2 on 80 with Tasha Wallace of the Public Player Club, which should give you some perspective on Park’s accomplishment today.  All three girls earned spots in the Tour Championship on August 28th at Wolf Creek Golf Resort with their efforts today.

The overall low score today in the Junior Boys’ division was turned in by a grizzled ‘old’ Tour veteran, Ryan Garbutt of the Windermere GCC. Garbutt’s 73 was  from the age group for boys born in 2006 and later. Still two weeks shy of his 14th birthday,  Ryan’s score today was actually five shots higher than his opening round in the Edmonton City Junior at the Royal Mayfair over the weekend.  (Don’t ask about Round Two).  Ben Lovrod of Grande Prairie and Cayden Clark of  Glendale were best among older boys born between 2001-2005, firing matching 74s to both punch their ticket to Wolf Creek.  Also gaining spots for the Tour Championship this afternoon was the host club’s Sahaj Klair (76) from the flight for boys born in 2004-05. Scott Levey of Belvedere and Windermere’s Peter Hlushak bagged spots for the Tour Championship from the flight for boys born in 2006 and later with their 75s. Owen Lai, playing out of RedTail Landing this year, got a Wild Card spot, also on 75. Scores overall were the lowest on Tour so far this year, as players took full advantage of ideal scoring conditions this morning.

The Tour moves an hour east tomorrow to Whitetail Crossing GC in Mundare for another sold-out Tour stop.  Where else can the kids snag Stawnychy’s garlic sausage as prizes for Closest to the Pin or Neat Scorecard Awards?  Camrose’s event on Wednesday is also full as interest in junior golf and the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour continues at its highest level in over a decade.

 

OVERALL TOP TEN:

1. Ryan Garbutt                                   Windermere                                73

T2. Ben Lovrod                                   Grande Prairie GCC                    74

T2. Cayden Clark                                Glendale                                        74

T4. Owen Lai                                       RedTail Landing                          75

T4. Spencer Florchuk                        Ft. Saskatchewan                        75

T4. Scott Levey                                   Belvedere                                      75

T4. Peter Hlushak                              Windermere                                 75

T8. Rory Wutzke                                Camrose                                        76

T8. Sahaj Klair                                   RedTail Landing                           76

T8. Carson Devlin                             Windermere                                  76

The following players finished in the Top Six and ties in each age group, thereby earning Titleist Order of Merit ranking points.

.

BOYS BORN IN 2001-2003

T1.   Ben Lovrod                                 Grande Prairie GCC                     74 Q

T1.  Cayden Clark                               Glendale                                         74 Q

T3. Owen Lai                                       RedTail Landing                          75 WC

T3. Spencer Florchuk                        Ft. Saskatchewan                         75 PQ

5. Rory Wutzke                                   Camrose                                        76

6. Cole Ruelling                                  Lewis Estates                                77

.

BOYS BORN IN 2004-05

1. Sahaj Klair                                      RedTail Landing                            76 Q

2. Reid Casavant                                Westlock                                         78

T3. Ethan Howes                               Ft. Saskatchewan                          79

T3. Memphis Burgeson                    Northern Bear                               79

5. Brayton Van Den Bilche              Lewis Estates                                 81

6. Aidan Fong                                    Country Hills                                  82

.

BOYS BORN IN 2006 & LATER

1. Ryan Garbutt                              Windermere                                    73 PQ

T2. Scott Levey                                Belvedere                                         75 Q

T2. Peter Hlushak                           Windermere                                    75 Q

4. Carson Devlin                              Windermere                                    76

T5. Kenny Taylor                              RedTail Landing                            78

T5. Becker Gilewich                         Windermere                                     78

.

JUNIOR GIRLS

1. Eileen Park                                    Red Deer GCC                              77 Q

T2. Tasha Wallace                            PPC                                                80 WC

T2. Jayla Kucy                                   Camrose                                        80 WC

4. Alexa Wingnean                           Derrick                                            81

5. Sarah Yorke                                  Belvedere                                       90

6. Delainey Wingnean                      Derrick                                             95

.

Q = Player qualified for Tour Championship at Wolf Creek Golf Resort on August 28th

WC – Wild Card qualifier for Tour Championship

PQ = Player had previously qualified for Tour Championship.