SOUTHERN ALBERTA✦GOLF GUIDE

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2010 ✦ Lethbridge Herald – Medicine Hat News – 6

expanding

Horizons

Lewis Chong has been a consistent competitor in the 1st Choice Savings Series on theMaple Leaf Junior Tour and it hlped him get a scholarship to play golf at the University of Texas-San Antonio.

Tournament director Matson says there will be more events north of Red Deer

Dale Woodard

LETHBRIDGE HERALD

sports@lethbridge.com

T

he Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour is looking for a little more northern exposure. As the 2010 season takes the tee box, local administrator Trent Matson said the

tour will be placing more emphasis on events north of Red Deer. “We expanded a little bit more north,” said

Matson. “We’re going to put a little bit of a better effort into Edmonton. “We’ve always had members from Edmonton,

but we’ve never run any events there. So we’re trying to get three events in central Alberta and Edmonton, which will help us there.” The idea came from an email from a pro in Edmonton, said Matson. “We talked about it quite a bit. Fifteen per cent

of our membership is north of Red Deer. So we thought we have to put in a better effort.” Judging by the numbers for this year’s tour, the

increased emphasis to the north has paid dividends. “It’s shaping up very well,” said Matson. “Our immediate numbers are quite a bit up and we’re having a good success with the new members.” The colder weather in early April aside, Mother

Nature has also lent a hand in the increased numbers. “I guess it’s been such an early year and it hasn’t

snowed,” said Matson. “It doesn’t hurt that the Masters are on. People are calling all the time. There’s just a little more excitement versus the last couple of years (when) we had snow in April. “It kind of put a downer on the season.” After tour starts in Surrey and Richmond, the

Maple Leaf tour comes to southern Alberta as the 1st Choice Savings Series stops at Coaldale at the Land-O-Lakes Golf Club today and Sunday.

◆ CONTINUED Please see page 7

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Southern Alberta Newspaper photo

MJT regulars Breanne Neufeld, putting, and Anisha Chong are both playing golf at post-secondary institutions. Neufeld is at Bradley University and Chong plays for the University of Alberta. Below is Bari Erais, a Bradley grad who was the Cleveland Golf player of the year in 2005 thanks to her proficiency on theMJT.

The MapleLeaf Junior GolfTour has produced abevy of collegiate stars and givenlocal golfers a competitive place to learn.Now, theplan is tohead north in search of more competition

Southern Alberta Newspaper photo

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