Friesen remains hot on junior tour
Landon Friesen is off to a perfect start this year on the Niagara District Junior Golf Tour.
The 12-year-old student at Canadian Martyrs in St. Catharines fired a 79 to finish first in the U-13 boys category Monday at Peninsula Lakes.
“I didn’t partake in one (event) but I’ve won all four that I’ve participated in,” the Sawmill golfer said. “I go into them looking to come away with a win.”
Friesen said his recipe for success is simple.
“It was mainly my irons and the work I put in over the winter,” he said.
Friesen edged out Alex Shorthouse of Players Club Hamilton by five strokes for the victory.
“Everyday is usually different. Some days I’ll be really worried about a certain player and how they’re playing, but usually I just keep my thoughts to myself and think to myself and (as my mom says) play your own game and keep playing.”
Friesen was also quick to give credit to Sawmill owners Jeremy Julie and Carrie Julie, his parents Geoff Friesen and Melissa Friesen and grandparents Cathie Dempsey and Rory Dempsey, for his success.
“It’s my parents who do all this stuff for me, my grandparents who drive me out there, my papa especially. My mom enrols me and puts me into the tournaments and really boosts me toward my goals and my grandma — she loves me,” he said.
Friesen loves participating on the junior tour.
“John White (tournament organizer) is an amazing guy,” Friesen said. “He sets everything up and I’m very fortunate to be in these tournaments.
“It’s really fun to meet some new people and have that spirit of your friends around you.”
Kenney bounces back
Casey Kenney rebounded from a tough week of golf to turn in one of her best rounds, firing a 69 to easily win the U-19 girls category.
“Honestly, I don’t know how I did it but everything was working,” Kenney said. “It was a care-free round. I knew that I could just go out there and have fun and it worked.”
Kenney easily outdistanced Edyn Sobie, Players Club Mississauga, who finished with a 95.
“It was nice but windy but Pen Lakes is always windy. Honestly, no complaints,” Kenney said.
Kenney, who was coming off a couple of sub-par performances, tried to enjoy the moment and not stress so much about the results.
“I had a big weight lifted off my shoulders. I tried to have fun and that’s what I did,” the 17-year-old, Sawmill golfer said. “Honestly, it was just a much better mindset than I was in on a golf course for a while.
“It’s good to be back here (junior tour) because it’s been pretty rough recently but I’m back — I’d like to think I’m back.”
Kenney withdrew from a junior tour stop Monday at Rockway after a tough start which followed a sub-par performance at the 108th Ontario Women’s Amateur and Mid-Amateur Championship at Donalda in Toronto.
“That was really bad and I just needed a break. I didn’t want to play that tournament but I was there and I took a break and here I am. I just needed to slow things down and it worked.”
The next stop on the tour is July 19 at Twenty Valley.
Following is the leaderboard:
Under-19 girls: Casey Kenney, Sawmill 69; Edyn Sobie, Players Club Mississauga 95.
Under-19 boys: Nathan Freure, Sawmill 75; Will Burleigh, Sawmill 78, Kian Oleofse, Lookout Point 78; John Kingdon, Sawmill 81; Jack Ilskens, Lookout Point 82; Noah LeBrasseur, Cherry Hill 83, Ryder Fletcher, Bridgewater, 83, Austin Ste. Croix, Twenty Valley 81; Benjamin Morin, Bridgewater 84; Tommy Goodwin, St. Catharines Golf and Country Club 86.
Under-15 boys: Ben Julie, Sawmill 75; Trent Clarke, Sawmill 79; Dawson Dermatas, St. Catharines Golf and Country Club 84; Vince Belardi, Sawmill 90; Jordan Spratt, Twenty Valley 91, Braxton Fleguel, Golf Canada ClubHouse 91, Jaxxon Pozzobon, Sawmill 91; Carter Thompson, Sawmill 92; Cam Strugar, Golf Canada ClubHouse 94, Carter Fulkerson, Players Club Ottawa 94.
Under-13 boys: Landon Friesen, Sawmill 79; Alex Shorthouse, Players Club Hamilton 84; Daxx Partridge, St. Catharines Golf and Country Club 86; Joshua Bertand, Sawmill 88; Jonah Sobie, Players Club Mississauga 99.
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