By Dunc Mills:

The final full week of the 2022 McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour began today in Camrose under warm, sunny skies, with 44 juniors from across northern and central Alberta in attendance.  Many Tour ‘regulars’ are otherwise occupied this week at the Alberta Golf U17 / U15/ U13 Championships going on at Alberta Springs Golf Resort in Red Deer, but this gives many other juniors the opportunity to take center stage.  The Tour winds up the 2022 regular season on Tuesday, August 23 in Carstairs, the last event before the Tour Championship coming up on August 29th at Wolf Creek Golf Resort.

Evan Couch of the Glendale GCC and Matthew Mayowski of Drayton Valley tied for overall Low Gross honours today, as players in the U19 division dominated the leaderboard.  Dekin Benson of Whispering Pines GC at Pine Lake was a single shot back in solo third with a 78.   Mayowski’s round was kind of boring, featuring 12 pars, 6 bogeys and nary a birdie on his card.  Couch, on the other hand, turned to the back 9 in 1-over 36, but posted a “Gordie Howe” 9 on the par-5 10th hole to come crashing down to earth. But a bounce-back birdie deuce on #11 helped right the ship.  You don’t see the ‘9-2’ combination on scorecards every day!!

In the boys’ U17 division, two-time Tour winner this year Harley Mohr of Ft. Saskatchewan GCC posted a 79, with his clubmate Jared Van Hecke two shots back in the age group with an 81.  Top player in the U15 age group was Nhan Truong of the Highlands with an 81, three shots clear of flight runner-up Evan Goplin of the Derrick.

The U13 flight today went to Jay Kary of Montgomery Glen GC with an 89, four shots ahead of Turner Gartley of Stony Plain.  Kary clinched a spot in the Tour Championship with his performance today.

We only had one junior girl on hand today, Kadie Forster of Lakewood GC in Sylvan Lake.  Forster, 12, shot a 94, which would have placed her in 3rd place against the U13 boys, playing from the same tees.  While a bit disappointing, the girls’ turnout was to be somewhat expected with 34 junior girls in the field over at Alberta Springs today.