Julie and Friesen capture overall golf titles
Sawmill’s Ben Julie lost the battle but won the war when the Niagara District Junior Golf Tour wrapped up Wednesday at Beechwood.
Julie’s buddy, Trent Clarke, won the final tour stop by eight strokes with a sparkling 68 but it was Julie who finished atop the overall points standings with 301 points. Clarke finished second with 258.5 points.
“I am pretty happy because it was my goal at the start of the year,” the 14-year-old Fenwick resident said. “My game has gotten a lot better this year and my handicap has gone down by five shots.”
The three handicapper credits that improvement to his driver and hitting a lot more greens in regulation. He did a lot of work in the off-season to prepare for this year and knew that work was going to pay off about a month into the season.
“I started hitting a lot more greens and I realized it was getting easier.”
Julie had a solid season winning tour stops at Brock Golf Club, Sawmill, Niagara National and Peninsula Lakes.
His highlight of the summer was capturing his first-ever Maple Leaf Junior Tour event at Settler’s Ghost in Barrie. He shot 72 and 73 to win the event. At the recent, Ontario bantam championship at Sawmill, he tied for 12th with rounds 73 and 76.
His most memorable shot of the summer came at his home course when he hit a hybrid from 160 yards out to within one foot on his final hole on the way to shooting a 68.
The Grade 9 student at E.L. Crossley will face a whole new challenge next year when he moves up into the under-19 division.
“I’m just hoping I can finish in the top three a couple of times.”
He knows what he needs on to achieve that goal.
“I need to practise my putting a bit. I missed a couple of three footers today.”
Julie enjoys play on the Niagara tour.
“I like the competition and lots of friends are on it.”
His long-term goal in golf is to follow in the cleatsteps of his father, Jeremy (University of Virginia), and garner a golf scholarship.
“He tells me to practise and work hard.”
Julie’s mom, Carrie, is also a big part of his golf.
“She is the chauffeur and she organizes all my stuff. It is really helpful and it takes a lot off of my plate.”
Julie is looking forward to an eventual growth spurt which will obviously help his game. He is five feet tall and weighs 80 pounds but that doesn’t deter his distance off the tee. He averages about 220 yards and has a clubhead speed of 85 miles per hour.
FRIESEN WINS UNDER-13 POINTS TITLE
While Daxx Patridge was recording his first win on the Niagara Tour’s under-13 division following an 83 at Beechwood, Landon Friesen was enjoying a family vacation at a cottage up north.
Friesen was able to take the vacation and still win the overall points crown with 315 points, thanks to reeling off seven straight victories on the tour this summer.
“Honestly I think I worked hard for it,” the 12-year St. Catharines resident said. “I put in a lot of effort, I met a lot of new friends and just tried to play my hardest. I didn’t think about my other competitors, I just thought about myself.”
His hard work came in the off-season and during the summer.
“I would prepare myself over that week, working hard, training and making sure my game was on point, and focusing on myself and working on the things that I was taught,” the Grade 8 student at Canadian Martyrs said.
Friesen won every tournament he played in on the tour.
“I’ve been playing the game for almost 11 years now. My dad put me in a program and I started along my way.”
He started golfing when he about two years old and began to play well when he was about seven.
“That is when I started to take it really seriously. I got out on the course more often and joined the performance team at Sawmill two years ago.”
On last year’s tour, he placed eighth overall in the points race. Friesen will be moving into the under-15 division in 2024 and is excited about the challenge.
“I want to place in the top third and just try to beat other players if I can.”
His summer highlight was coming off the course in the last tournament he played knowing he had clinched the overall points title.
“It was knowing that I had done my best and whatever happened next I couldn’t control.”
FINAL POINTS STANDINGS
Under-15 boys: Ben Julie, Sawmill 301; Trent Clarke, Sawmill 258.5; Matthew Gray, Sawmill 210.5; Dawson Dermatas, St. Catharines G&CC 209.5; Brennan Turner, Peninsula Lakes 204; Chase Partridge, St. Catharines G&CC 181.5; Joseph Zupanic, Sawmill 168.5; Jaxon Pozzobon, Sawmill 142; Ryan Kirkpatrick, Sawmill 141; Vince Belardi, Sawmill 131.5.
Under-13 boys: Landon Friesen, Sawmill 315; Alex Shorthouse, Players Club Hamilton 296; Jack Vitiello. Sawmill 265; Daxx Partridge, St. Catharines G&CC 234.5; Jonah Sobie. Players Club Mississauga West 221; Joshua Bertrand, Sawmill 136.5.
LEADERBOARDS
Under-15 boys: Trent Clarke, Sawmill 68; Matthew Gray, Sawmill 76; Ben Julie, Sawmill 78; Chase Partridge, St. Catharines G&CC 80; Dawson Dermatas, St. Catharines G&CC 80; Brennan Turner, Peninsula Lakes 80; Carter Fulkerson, Players Club Ottawa 81; Carter Thompson, Sawmill 85; Joseph Zupanic, Sawmill 88; Colby Franchetti, Cardinal Lakes 89.
Under-13 boys: Daxx Partridge, St. Catharines G&CC 83; Jack Vitiello. Sawmill 88; Alex Shorthouse, Players Club Hamilton 92; Jonah Sobie. Players Club Mississauga West 108.
