Fun day at Innisfail parent-junior McLennan Ross Tour event
Alberta Golf (Innisfail) –
By Dunc Mills,
The 2019 McLennan Ross Alberta Golf Junior Golf Tour was back underway Tuesday at the always immaculate and difficult Innisfail G & CC. For the first time in the Tour’s 24-year history, the tournament was held as a parent-junior format giving many parents a delightful opportunity to join their kids and perhaps get a better understanding of what the juniors go through in tournament competition.
We had an excellent turnout of 24 partnership teams, consisting mostly of parents or grandparents with their offspring, but augmented by some surrogate parents recruited by Innisfail Head Professional Jim Boomer to give some ‘single’ juniors a chance to compete in the company of adult members of the Innisfail club. It was hard to say who had more fun; the kids or their ‘new’ parents!
Chase Bodoano of Broadmoor GC in Sherwood Park successfully defended his 2018 Innisfail Junior Open title as his 79 was the only score under 80 turned in by the juniors. Innisfail has the well-deserved reputation as one of the more challenging courses on the McLennan Ross Junior Tour, and for good reason. The course was in terrific condition, with some of the fastest and smoothest greens we have seen so far this summer. Bodoano’s clubmate Jarret Bossert (81) was a single shot back in solo second, with the final podium slot taken by another Broadmoor player, Mitch Desjarlais. All three players earned early-season tickets to the 2019 Tour Championship at Wolf Creek Golf Resort on Friday, August 23rd with their play today. The host club’s Anthony Chatwood (83) also qualified for Wolf Creek, capturing the flight for boys born in 2003/04.
The younger boys born in or after 2005 had the luxury of playing from the shorter gold tees, and two youngsters turned in very impressive performances. Aidan Fong of The Winston GC in Calgary and Chris Colberg of Valley Ridge GC tied for first in their flight with scores of 80, earning both players spots in the Tour Championship. We only had one junior girl on hand, as the balance of the province’s female junior competitors were otherwise occupied at Highwood playing in the provincial championship. Earl Grey’s Brynne Davies fired a fine score of 89, also punching her ticket to Wolf Creek.
The Tour really kicks into high gear next week in the Calgary area. The Kevin Hipple Memorial Junior Open is next up on Monday, July 8th at Pinebrook G&CC in Calgary, followed on Tuesday, July 9th in Carstairs and the Olds Junior Open next Wednesday, July 10th. The new Tour event originally scheduled for Thursday, July 11th at River Spirit GC in Calgary has been cancelled.
Full Results
Boys Born in 2002, 2001 & 2002
Player Home Club Score
1. Chase BODOANO Broadmoor 79 Q
2. Jarret BOSSERT Broadmoor 81 WC
3. Mitch DESJARLAIS Broadmoor 82 WC
4. Dyson ZUKIWSKY Red Deer GCC 87
5. Andrew CHAPMAN Pheasantback 97
Boys Born in 2003 & 2004
1. Anthony CHATWOOD Innisfail 83 Q
2. Cole FOX Innisfail 85
3. Jack CHIDLAW Country Hills 88
4. Reid WILLIAMSON Olds 97
Boys Born in 2005 & Later
T1. Aidan FONG The Winston 80 Q
T1. Chris COLBERG Valley Ridge 80 Q
3. Brae ROGALCZUK Olds 82
4. Ryan GARBUTT Windermere 89
5. Kade McGOWAN River Bend 95
6. Matthew MAYOWSKI Drayton Valley 96
Junior Girls
1. Brynne DAVIES Earl Grey 89 Q
Q = Player Qualified for Tour Championship at Wolf Creek Golf Resort on Aug. 23
WC = Wild Card Qualifier for Tour Championship
