AJT Goose Hummock Junior Open
By Dunc Mills:
This morning, we wrapped up the second round of the only 36-hole event on the 2023 McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour at Goose Hummock Golf Resort, located a few miles north of Gibbons. “The Goose” has a well-earned reputation as one of the more difficult courses on the Tour, with a myriad of water penalty areas and some dense bush to challenge the competitors. Over 50 juniors were on hand from as far away as Calgary and Edson to test their games on this challenging layout.
When all the cards had been handed in, we ended up with a three-way tie for the overall Low Gross score for junior boys; one player from each of the three oldest age groups. Jayden Popik of Belvedere (74-76) bested the U15 division. Theo Lau of the Derrick (74-76) was tops in the boys U17 flight, and Glendale’s Evan Couch (75-75) took home top prize in the boys’ U19 age group. Spencer Hagopian of the Calgary GCC earned the “Most Improved” award today, improving 10 shots from Monday’s 83 with a sparkling 2-over 73 this morning, low round of the tournament. His 36-hole total of 156 was good for fourth overall and runner-up to Lau in the U17 flight.
Only two junior girls were left in the field this morning as two younger girls had withdrawn before today’s round. Ellie Johnson of the Derrick and Camrose’s Nicole Rohr played ‘hair on fire’ golf, cruising around in a brisk 3 hours and 20 minutes, with Johnson’s scores of 81-87 coming out three shots clear of Rohr’s 87-84 total. At the other end of the junior girls participation rainbow, we have 23 junior girls signed up on Wednesday in Olds!!!
Special kudos also go to the six boys in the U13 flight, off the first tee this morning right behind Johnson and Rohr. Don’t anyone ever tell you that ‘young’ automatically translates to ‘slow’, as these two threesomes of 11 and 12-year-olds put their heads down, kept their feet moving, and posted their scores in 3 hours and 40 minutes. It was a three-way photo finish at the wire as Knox Kehler of Edson posted rounds of 85-86 to pip Jay Kary (87-85) by one shot and Jayden Shigehiro (87-87) by three strokes. These youngsters can give some of the older kids some tips on keeping up a good pace of play.
As mentioned above, the Tour is at Olds Central HIghlands GC on Wednesday for the largest field of the summer to date, with 87 players registered including the aforementioned 23 junior girls. We swing back north on Thursday to Montgomery Glen GC in Wetaskiwin, where the star attraction is not only the opportunity for players to get their name engraved on the classiest permanent trophy on the Tour, but to also enjoy what is always one of the Tour’s tastiest and most nutritious player dining experiences.
