Huge turnout as McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour kicks off in Innisfail
Written by Duncan Mills
The 25th Anniversary Season of the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Golf Tour got off to a fantastic start Thursday over the slick, rolling greens and lush fairways at the Innisfail GCC. Long regarded as one of Alberta’s most challenging courses, the 27-hole central Alberta layout proved to be more than enough challenge to 50 two-person teams of junior golfers paired with family members or friends in a Parent/Child format. Teams were on hand from as far north as Edmonton to as far south as Brooks, with many of the partnerships consisting of younger junior competitors getting their first taste of tournament competition. We’re not sure if the kids were more nervous than their parents, grandparents, brothers or close buddies, but judging from the smiles on the faces of the majority of the players throughout the day, I think the big winner today was Junior Golf.
WATCH: First 2020 Mclennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour event gets underway at Innisfail
In the team competition, home course knowledge proved key as Innisfail junior Cole Fox paired up with the host club’s Jace Ouelette, himself a veteran of dozens of McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour events over the years prior to Jace’s graduation from junior golf competition last year. The local pair fired a nifty 10-under par 62 in the net better ball format, but you can hardly accuse these guys of sandbagging it! They only received four shots TOTAL for their combined handicaps as Ouelette scorched his home track with “Six or seven birdies,” while Fox chipped in a few of his own as they kept the mistakes to a minimum. They needed every putt too, as they edged Olds junior Reid Williamson and his father Russ by a single shot. Three other teams finished T3 with 7-under par 65s. In the second year of the Parent/Child format for the Innisfail tournament, we were pleased to have seven junior girls on hand today, and about five moms playing with their kids.
The 50 juniors on hand were also playing simultaneously in their own individual stroke-play competition for the Innisfail Junior Open title and coveted qualifying spots in the silver anniversary Tour Championship, which will be held Friday, August 28th at Wolf Creek Golf Resort. As mentioned earlier, the Innisfail course has brought many of the province’s best junior golfers to their knees over the years in their quest to solve the tree-lined layout and notoriously speedy putting surfaces. Sebastian Berube of Priddis Greens GCC in Calgary earned his 2nd Tour title (Strathmore 2019) as his 79 was the only score under 80 in the two age groups for boys born between 2001 and 2005.
Sebastien Berube shoots 79 to win the event.
It was the Cole Show for runner-up as Cole Ruelling of Windermere and the aforementioned Cole Fox from Innisfail were a shot back on 80.
Berube’s 79 wasn’t actually the lowest score posted today as up-and-comer Ryan Garbutt of Windermere toured the course in 78 shots, but his age group of boys born in 2006 and later had the benefit of competing from the somewhat shorter yellow tee blocks. That’s certainly not meant to diminish Garbutt’s achievement, as you still have to keep the ball out of the trees and get it into the hole in as few strokes as possible. Chris Colberg of Bearspaw GCC in Calgary was a shot in Garbutt’s rear view mirror with a fine 79 of his own.
Seven junior girls were on hand this afternoon and all of them were left in the dust by Ella Gifford of Coloniale GC in Beaumont, as her 83 was 8 shots clear of young Aleah Shields of McCall Lake GC in Calgary. Not to belittle Gifford’s fine showing, but I suspect we might also might be seeing more of the slightly-built Shields youngster in years to come as she gains experience.
Next week features two McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour events. The Tour is at McKenzie Meadows GC in Calgary on Monday, July 6 ( sold out!) and moves about 60 km north the following day for the Carstairs Junior Open on Tuesday afternoon. As of this writing, a handful of spots are still available in Carstairs, but we would recommend calling them immediately as they are nearly full.
TOP SIX FINISHERS IN EACH AGE GROUP. ALL THESE PLAYERS EARNED TITLEIST ORDER OF MERIT RANKING POINTS.
Players born in 2001, 2002, & 2003
1. Cole RUELLING Windermere GCC 80 Q
2. Dyson ZUKIWSKY Red Deer GCC 86
3. Anthony CHATWOOD Innisfail 88
4. Matthew FRIEDRICK Brooks 98
5. Kai RICHER Balmoral 104
Players born in 2004 & 2005
1. Sebastian BERUBE Priddis Greens GCC 79 Q
2. Cole FOX Innisfail 80 WC
3. Aidan FONG Country Hills 84 WC
4. Reid WILLIAMSON Olds 86
5. Josiah TONG Heritage Pointe 89
6. Ned BOOTH Willow Park 90
Players born in 2006 & later
1. Ryan GARBUTT Windermere GCC 78 Q
2. Chris COLBERG Bearspaw GCC 79 WC
3. Jake BROOKS Innisfail 82 WC
4. Saahir SHARMA Edmonton CC 84 WC
5. Cole SERDACHY Windermere 85
6. Tobias BUFFAM Valley RIdge 86
Junior Girls
1. Ella GIFFORD Coloniale 83 Q
2. Aleah SHIELDS McCall Lake 91
3. Serin GIRARD River Bend 99
4. Aliyah HULL Lakeside 107
5. Nicole ROHR Camrose 109
6. Kristin McGEACHIE Willow Park 110
Q = Player qualified for Tour Championship at Wolf Creek Golf Resort on August 28th
WC = Wild Card qualifier for Tour Championship
