Estevan’s Jayden Dudas is possibly going to be a part-time Maple Leaf Junior Tour star this year.
Dudas will focus a lot of his time getting ready for Golf Saskatchewan’s junior provincials next month but in the meantime, the MJT stop at TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course saw Dudas get a second round 68 to win the juvenile division at the event.
“My putting went really well (Sunday),” Dudas said. “I don’t know, I just played good golf.”
Dudas had eight birdies on a rocking Sunday at the MJT Golf Sask OOM Series by PLYR Golf, and he improved his Saturday score by eight shots. That was enough to beat the Nagy twins from Saskatoon, Cole (74-71-145) and Josh (76-70-146).
“I just didn’t make as many bogeys (Sunday),” Dudas said. “I made more birdies and made more putts. I just had a different mindset. I was just playing golf, just rolling.”
Provincials will be July 9-11 in Saskatoon.
“I’m not really focused on this tour,” he said. “Provincials and nationals is the focus.”
Last year, Dudas finished fourth in the Saskatchewan Junior Men’s championship to qualify for nationals and then just missed the cut by four strokes after two days at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club in Kingston.
But the MJT event showcased some of the best young golfers in the province and western Canada. In particular, the juvenile boys group had see some good shotmaking by the top three especially as the tour hit Woodlawn for the first time in a few years.
“That’s the 15 and 16 year old group and that’s when they find their stride,” said Jeff Chambers, tour director. “Jayden’s a fantastic player and he’s capable of many birdies, which he’s shown today. And then you had the Nagys right there. They just finished placing first and second out in Portage La Prairie last weekend. That age division is tough and they’re going to battle all year and it’s going to be fun to watch.”
The course was in good shape despite the late spring.
“It’s absolutely fantastic,” Chambers said. “It’s in better shape than I expected. The roll is in mid summer form, which is rare to see. The kids were shocked because they haven’t been able to practice on fast greens and hats off to their maintenance crew. Honestly it’s in mid season form right now.”
Chambers said it was club general manager Amanda Minchin that wanted to bring the tour back to Estevan.
“She made a phone call to me and said she would really like to keep supporting the junior golf tour and wanted to bring it back here,” said Chambers. “She does amazing things in golf, there’s no surprise there and we have a great relationship, so when she contacted me it was an easy choice to try to find a spot in the schedule and it because our season opener.”
In the juvenile boys division among the Estevan golfers, Chase Gedak was seventh (81-76-157), Jace Carlisle was eighth (81-77-158), Drew Fenwick was tied for 12th (85-86-171) and Hudson Chernoff was 17th (92-92-184).
In the junior boys division, Logan Chernoff was fourth (80-81-161), and 12 strokes behind winner Griffin Wilson of Swift Current (80-69-149). Reegan Robinson was eighth (86-87-173).
Ella Kozak of Yorkton won the U15 girls division (83-91-174) and Sarah Phipps of Victoria, B.C. won the 15-18 girls (80-81-161). Bailey Farr was sixth in the division (108-113-221).
Kindersley’s Keaton Cote was the winner in the peewee boys (80-80-160). Noah Fiks of Winnipeg was the winner in the bantam boys (74-72-146). Ryan Chernoff finished in 13th place in that division (87-88-175).
