Login
MENU

Kucy and Ruelling best at Whitetail Crossing Junior Open

By Dunc Mills

The McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour took a swing into east central Alberta this morning for the sold-out Whitetail Crossing Junior Open in Mundare. Fifty juniors from as far away as Grande Prairie and Calgary dropped in for today’s tour stop, the second of a three-events-in-three-days schedule this week.

We had no lack of excitement today as we had the first boys’ playoff of the season with three competitors firing even-par 72s to force overtime.  Cole Ruelling of Windermere, Rory Wutzke of Camrose and Heritage Pointe’s Josiah Tong finished in the dead heat and the three youngsters headed down the first fairway for a sudden-victory playoff.  Ruelling’s routine par proved enough to capture the title as the other players visited the notoriously nasty fescue grass lining many of Whitetail Crossing’s fairways. The win was Ruelling’s first of the 2020 Tour season. Wutzke is a familiar face on Tour in and around the lead, but Tong’s round was fun to see: a career-low effort! Well done by all the kids!

Winners Jayla Kucy and Cole Ruelling

An interesting feature of today’s play was the flock of eagles from the players.  We had at least 5 that I was made aware of, including a chip-in deuce on the par-4 9th hole from a player who nearly drove the green on the downwind 353-yard par-4 hole.  The other eagles today were of the more usual variety, on par-5 holes, but they were flying out there this afternoon.

With the season about one-third complete, we continued our unbroken run of sold out events  as interest surges in junior golf in general, and the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour in particular.  The streak will continue tomorrow in Camrose and again next Tuesday at Collicutt Siding GC in Crossfield.  A few spots remain open at this time for the Montgomery Glen event next Wednesday and the 36-hole Goose Hummock Junior Open next week on Thursday and Friday.  We fully expect those events to fill up as well, so if you have plans to enter upcoming Tour stops, please don’t delay.  We have also learned today that the Edmonton Petroleum Club event on August 13th is full and only a handful of spots remain up for grabs at Stony Plain on August 10th.

In the Junior Girls’ division today, form held as two-time defending Tour Champion Jayla Kucy of Camrose was best of the seven girls on hand, firing a tidy 77, ten shots clear of Zoe Banack of Edson. Banack wasn’t entirely unhappy though, as her effort snagged the available Tour Championship spot up for grabs today. Anna Kibria of the Edmonton Petroleum GCC was third with a 90.

Tour Championship qualifying spots for the junior boys today went to Greg Gurba (77) from the flight for boys born in 2001-03, Matthew Mayowski (76) of Drayton Valley in the flight for boys born in 2004-05, and Jace McFaul (81) of RedTail Landing from the division for boys born in 2006 and later. Wild Card qualifiers were Jadan Patel of Inglewood GCC in Calgary and Aidan McGilvery (sp?) of ‘we’re not sure because he left the course before we could get his information’. Aidan, if you are reading this, please email me so I can get you your information about the Tour Championship.  Both Jadan and Aidan shot 81 today.

The Tour moves southeast of Edmonton tomorrow morning to Camrose for another sold out Tour event.  Tee times start at 9 am for the 60 players registered.  See you there!

OVERALL TOP TEN:

1. Cole RUELLING                             Windermere                               72 *

P2.  Josiah TONG                              Heritage Pointe                          72

P2. Rory WUTZKE                             Camrose                                      72

T4. Cayden CLARK                            Glendale                                      76

T4. Matthew MAYOWSKI                Drayton Valley                           76

T4. Scott LEVEY                                 Belvedere                                    76

7.  Greg GURBA                                  The Quarry                                 77

8.  Tyler MICHAELS                         Broadmoor                                 78

T9. Ben LOVROD                              Grande Prairie GCC                  80

T9. Aidan FONG                                Country Hills                              80

T9. Saahir SHARMA                           Edmonton CC                           80

.

THESE ARE THE TOP 6 AND TIES IN EACH AGE GROUP, EARNING TITLEIST ORDER OF MERIT RANKING POINTS.

BOYS BORN IN 2001-2003

1. Cole RUELLING                           Windermere                            72 * PQ

P2. Rory WUTZKE                           Camrose                                   72  PQ

3. Cayden CLARK                             Glendale                                   76 PQ

4. Greg GURBA                                 The Quarry                              77 Q

5. Ben LOVROD                                Grande Prairie                        80 PQ

6. Sam SMAUENHHIT                   Highlands                                82

.

BOYS BORN IN 2004-05

1. Josiah TONG                                 Heritage Pointe                            72 PQ

2. Matthew MAYOWSKI                 Drayton Valley                              76 Q

3. Aidan FONG                                  Country Hills                                80 PQ

T4. Aidan McGILVERY                                                                            81 WC

T4. Jadan PATEL                               Inglewood GCC                           81 WC

6. Ethan HOWES                               Ft. Saskatchewan                        82

.

BOYS BORN IN 2006 & LATER

1. Scott LEVEY                                   Belvedere                                    76 PQ

2. Tyler MICHAELS                          Broadmoor                                 78 PQ

3. Saahir SHARMA                            Edmonton CC                           80 PQ

T4. Jace McFAUL                               RedTail Landing                      81 Q

T4. Ryan GARBUTT                          Windermere                              81 PQ

6. Carson DEVLIN                             Windermere                              84

.

JUNIOR GIRLS

1. Jayla KUCY                                   Camrose                                      77 PQ

2. Zoe BANACK                               Edson                                           87 Q

3. Anna KIBRIA                               Edmonton Petroleum Club     90

4. Nicole ROHR                               Camrose                                       102

5. Raina KIBRIA                              Edmonton Petroleum Club      109

6. Aliyah HULL                                Lakeside                                       110

7. Jadalynn LEE                              Derrick                                           117

 

* = Player won tournament on the first hole of a sudden-victory playoff.

Q = Player qualified for Tour Championship at Wolf Creek Golf Resort on August 28th

WC = Wild Card qualifier for Tour Championship

PQ = Player had previously qualified for Tour Championship. 

    Alberta Golf | Juniors Sponsors

post