Desert Blume Junior Open
BY DUNC MILLS
The McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour made its second-last ‘regular season’ stop of the 2020 season today at the beautifully groomed Desert Blume Golf Club in Medicine Hat. It was smokin’ hot in the ‘Hat, as afternoon temperatures soared to 34C to greet 33 juniors from as far away as Edmonton and Fort Saskatchewan. With only today’s event and the final tournament of the season on Tuesday in Nanton, many players were doing their utmost to nail down berths in the 25th annual Tour Championship coming up this Friday at Wolf Creek Golf Resort.
Local knowledge paid big dividends today as 15-year-old Wyatt Bishop of the host club toured his home track in an even-par total of 72 strokes to capture his first Tour title. Bishop’s round was highlighted by a great stretch of four consecutive 3’s midway through the back nine.
Junior Boys Winner Wyatt Bishop (R) with father, Desert Blume GM Bill Bishop
Ethan Meyer, 18, of Lethbridge Country Club, did his best to defend his 2019 Desert Blume title, but fell 2 shots short with a 2-over 74 for runner-up honours. Meyer’s round was remarkable in that he didn’t exactly burst out of the gate, taking a quadruple bogey ‘snowman’ on the first hole and then playing the final 17 holes in 2-under!
Wolf Creek qualifying spots went to both Meyer and Bishop, along with Harley Mohr, 14, of Fort Saskatchewan, who shot 77 in the flight for boys born in 2006 and later. Wild Card qualifying berths went to Brady Deboice (77) of Riverview GC in nearby Redcliff, along with clubmates Jacob Dorton (78) and Owen Bruins (78) of Desert Blume. Bruins is one of those more and more prevalent “kid of a kid” Tour players, as his father Matt was about Owen’s age in the early days of the Tour in the late 90s. The ‘echo’ effect is taking effect with the boom of junior golf in our province.
After 23 junior girls on hand on Saturday in Airdrie, we had only two junior girls competing today. Aliyah Hull of Lakeside GC in Chestermere fired a 98 to defeat Abby Froom of Henderson Lake GC in Lethbridge and punch her ticket to Wolf Creek this Friday.
Congratulations to all the juniors on hand today, as the Desert Blume course is arguably the most difficult on the Tour for kids to walk, and it was certainly an even tougher challenge in the 34C heat. No one quit and the kids played at a very acceptable pace. Well done! (no pun intended)
OVERALL TOP TEN:
1. Wyatt Bishop Desert Blume 72
2. Ethan Meyer Lethbridge CC 74
3. Jalen Apedoe Serenity 75
T4. Brady Deboice Riverview 77
T4. Jeremy Hart Sirocco 77
T4. Harley Mohr Ft. Saskatchewan 77
T7. Jacob Dorton Desert Blume 78
T7. Owen Bruins Desert Blume 78
9. Owen Burzminski Medicine Hat GCC 79
10. Jayden McIntyre Lethbridge CC 82
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
1. Ethan Meyer Lethbridge CC 74 Q
2. Brady Deboice Riverview 77 WC
3. Jacob Dorton Desert Blume 78 WC
4. Owen Burzminski Medicine Hat GCC 79
5. Jayden McIntyre Lethbridge CC 82
6. Brayden Petro Lethbridge CC 83
BOYS BORN IN 2004-2005
1. Wyatt Bishop Desert Blume 72 Q
2. Jeremy Hart Sirocco 77 PQ
3. Brennan Abela Taber 85
4. Trey Smith Speargrass 86
5. Zach Moulaison Carstairs 92
6. Josh Burzminski Medicine Hat GCC 94
BOYS BORN IN 2006 & LATER
1. Jalen Apedoe Serenity 75 PQ
2. Harley Mohr Ft. Saskatchewan 77 Q
3. Owen Bruins Desert Blume 78 WC
4. Kerrick Norrie-Asquith Lethbridge CC 87
5. Solomon Tong Heritage Pointe 92
6. Cameron Hoose Windermere 96
JUNIOR GIRLS
1. Aliyah Hull Lakeside 98 Q
2. Abby Froom Henderson Lake 114
Q = Player qualified for Tour Championship on August 28th at Wolf Creek Golf Resort.
WC = Wild Card qualifier for Tour Championship
PQ = Player had previously qualified for Tour Championship.
Tour this week:
Last event of the regular season on Tuesday in Nanton. Sold out field of 60 players.
Tour Championship on Friday at Wolf Creek will wrap up the 2020 season.
