By Dunc Mills:

The Jordan Brand Memorial Junior Open in Lacombe is one of four remaining charter members of the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour, dating back to the Tour’s first year in 1996.  The central Alberta layout isn’t overly long by today’s standards, but the course always presents a challenge to any golfer, with its small, slick greens and tree-lined parkland fairways.  Conditions were ideal Thursday morning for 77 junior golfers from across the province who dropped in to test their games at the Lacombe Tour stop.

The big news on Wednesday from the Ponoka Junior Open was the sensational 6-under par 66 fired by 12-year-old Bennett Love of Red Deer GCC, which tied the long-standing Ponoka Junior Open scoring record held by Ponoka’s current head pro Ryan Moore.  Well young Mr. Love was on hand again on Thursday in Lacombe, and he really “blew up”, firing a 1-over par 72, which was the lowest score of the day and earned him the right to have his name engraved on the gorgeous permanent trophy that is on display in the Lacombe trophy case.  I was only being facetious of course, referring to Love’s round as “blowing up”.  Virtually all of us would love to shoot a score like that at any time.  ( See what I did there?  …love to shoot a score…” } Love’s round led the way in the boys’ U13 age group.

The Boys’ U15 division was paced by Jayden Popik of Belvedere GCC with a 2-over 73, two shots clear of Charles Greaves of Banff Springs.  Popik and Greaves had tied for the U15 flight in Ponoka with even-par 72s.  Nhan Troung of the Royal Mayfair was solo third in the age group with a 76.

Red Deer GCC players swept the podium in the boys’ U17 division, with Kade McGowan and Michael Song tied for low gross in the flight with 74s.  Their  clubmate Casey Silva was another shot back in third with a 75.

In the boys’ U19 age group, Brady Bruns of the host club put his course knowledge to good use, firing a fine 2-over 73 to win top prize in the flight. Max Chan of Magrath was a distant second, six shots back on 79, with Massimo Naccarato of the Edmonton Pete Club alone in third with an 83.

We had a total of eight junior girls in the field in Lacombe, and Raylee Denton of Red Deer GCC led the way with a fine 76, two shots ahead of runner-up Serin Girard of Richmond, BC. Girard was Wednesday’s overall junior girls champion in Ponoka.  Justine Leon of Lakeside GC in Chestermere finished in third place with an 83. Denton’s name goes up alongside Love’s on the club’s permanent trophy as the Junior Girls Champion.  Congratulations!

The Tour returns to action on Monday and Tuesday next week at Goose Hummock Golf Resort near Gibbons, the only 36-hole event on this summer’s schedule.  We swing south on Wednesday to the Olds Central Highlands GC and back to Montgomery Glen GC in Wetaskiwin next Thursday to conclude a busy week, which will take us to the half-way mark on the 2023 Tour schedule.  Plenty of opportunities remain on the schedule in August for junior golfers to get out and gain some invaluable tournament experience, meet new friends and have a great time while they’re at it.

Visit the Tour website at www.albertagolfjuniors.org for complete details about remaining events on the 2023 schedule.