Alberta Golf (Nanton) –

By Dunc Mills 

The 24th ‘regular season’ of the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour came to a conclusion this morning with a group of very enthusiastic juniors in Nanton.  One of the remaining charter members of the Tour dating back to the Tour’s inaugural year of 1996, the Nanton event has often occupied the last slot of the regular season schedule, and thereby attracts kids who haven’t yet qualified for the Tour Championship, others looking for a tuneup event prior to this Friday’s windup at Wolf Creek, or other players just looking for a fun and competitive tournament prior to heading back to school next week.

We had players today in the field such as Cole Bergheim of Red Deer, a Tour regular the last few years but who was making his first McLennan Ross start of this summer. Bergheim is rapidly turning into one of Alberta’s top juniors in any age bracket and just returned from the Western Canada Summer Games in Swift Current, SK, where he captured the gold medal in the individual golf competition and led  Alberta to a gold in the boys’ team competition as well.  Cole’s scores of 72-72-70 (214) in Speedy Creek was a single shot clear of a player from Manitoba in a very tight battle.  Today, Bergheim’s 73 was the low score among junior boys born between 2000-04, who played from the Blue tees.  Arthur Deng of Glencoe was runner-up with a 76 and both players earned their way into this Friday’s Tour Championship at Wolf Creek, although Deng will be unable to attend.

Low score of the day was turned in by 14 -year-old Jeremy Hart of McKenzie Meadows GC in Calgary with a 1-over 72, albeit from a shorter set of tees than the older boys used.  Just the same, Hart’s four-birdie effort is to be applauded and this youngster looks to me like he will be a force to be reckoned with in Alberta junior golf in coming years.

Other “Last Chance Saloon” qualifiers today included Connor Broad of Lethbridge CC from the flight for boys born in 2005 and later, Riley Hearn of Willow Park from the flight for boys born in 2003-04 and Wild Card qualifier Cody Rice of McKenzie Meadows.  Mattia Malmqvist-Lund of River’s Edge GC in Okotoks snagged the available spot from the junior girls’ flight and she will be in the field on Friday at Wolf Creek.

Thanks to all the players who competed on the McLennan Ross Alberta Junior Tour over the season, whether you played one event or several.  We will be doing an in-depth Year in Review after the Tour Championship, so let’s leave the more detailed thanks you’s until then.

Remember – Entry deadline for the Tour Championship is NOON on Wednesday, Aug 21.  Tournament is this Friday.  See you there if you have qualified and entered.