By Dunc Mills:

The Nanton Junior Open is one of four remaining charter members of the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour, dating back to the Tour’s first year in 1996.  We had an excellent turnout of 60 juniors today in Nanton, featuring the first appearance of the 2022 Tour schedule by 2021 boys’ Tour Champion, Christian Flick of Carnmoney GCC.  Flick seems poised to make a run at defending his title, and if his play today is any indication, he will be on a short list of top contenders coming up at the end of August at Wolf Creek Golf Resort.

Flick fired a steady 1-under par 70 today, and the Carnmoney competitor needed every stroke.  Flick’s clubmate Patrick McLarty was hot on his heels, as was Kole Keenas of Strathmore.  Keenas fired an even-par 71 to finish 2nd overall to Flick and his score led the field in the boys U19 age group.  McLarty was another shot back at 72, good enough for first place in the boys’ U15 division.  Daillon Krysanowski  posted a 72 to tie McLarty for third overall.

The boys U13 division was also hotly contested, with Luca Marengo nipping Earl Grey’s Jayden Arnold, 76 blows to 77, as about a dozen players overall broke 80.

We had a nice-sized field of 10 junior girls on hand this morning, and once again, some of the younger players were right in the hunt for the overall girls’ championship.  Allyah Hull of Willow Park captured another McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour title with a fine 78 today, but two girls in the U13 flight were in the mix all day as well. Jasmine Lazzari of Inglewood Golf & Curling Club fired an 83 to take the U13 flight, but Lakeside’s Justine Leon was only a single shot back with an 84. Kyra Tovee of Carnmoney GCC was runner-up to Hull in the U15 age group with an 83 of her own.

The Tour moves north of Red Deer tomorrow for the re-scheduled Ponoka Junior Open, another Tour charter member.  Thursday, the Tour drops in at the prestigious Edmonton  Petroleum Club Golf and Country Club, which hosted top young touring professionals from around the world a little more than a month ago as part of PGA Tour Canada.  That event was won by Tour alum Wil Bateman of Edmonton, still the youngest junior boy to earn a McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour title, when Wil won at Goose Hummock when he was the tender age of 11.