MacLean and Miron win at Grand Niagara
Ben MacLean won his second straight tournament on the Niagara Junior Golf Tour in impressive fashion Wednesday.
The 15-year-old Niagara Falls resident carded a six under par 66 at Grand Niagara to win the under-19 boys division on fifth stop on the tour by five strokes over runner-up Matthew Martel.
The excellent round by the scratch handicapper at Lookout Point and the St. Catharines Golf and Country Club wasn’t even the best of his young career. MacLean once shot 65 at Royal Woodbine in Toronto.
“I was putting well today and I was hitting a lot of greens,” MacLean said.
He started his round three under par through six holes and just kept on rolling. Thankfully, he didn’t get ahead of himself and lose his focus.
“I just have to make sure that I don’t get in my head or think about what I am going to shoot,” he said. “I just try and think about the next shot and where I am going to put it.”
He did bogey one hole to fall back to two under par, but chipped in on the very next hole to keep his round rolling.
Looming ahead for the Grade 10 student at A.N. Myer are the Canadian mens’ amateur and Canadian junior boys championships.
He qualified for the Canadian juniors by placing third at this year’s Future Links Ontario championship at Tangle Creek Golf and Country Club in Thornton.
He has a goal in mind for the Canadian juniors.
“I just want to make the cut,” he said.
He is busy preparing for both events.
“It’s my first time doing something that big and I’m pretty nervous,” MacLean said. “It’s a new tournament and a big tournament.”
MIRON GETS FIRST CAREER WIN
Megan Miron capped an excellent week of play on the Niagara Junior Golf Tour by winning the under-19 girls division Wednesday at Grand Niagara.
After shooting 79 at Lookout Point to place second Monday, the 17-year-old Binbrook resident fired a 78 to record a three-shot victory over Payton Bennett, the winner of the first two tournaments of the year.
Miron, who was attracted to the Niagara Junior Golf Tour by her coach John White, the tour’s organizer, was under par on her second nine at Lookout Point and that momentum carried over to Grand Niagara.
It was the first Niagara junior tour victory for the ACMT (Mere Teresa) student.
“It’s great to win and it’s a nice group of girls too,” he said. “It’s fun to be able to win one.”
Anyone who sees the girls interact at the tournaments are struck by the camaraderie that exists.
“It’s awesome,” Miron said. “It’s a fun time even if you are not playing your best golf. It’s very comfortable.”
She is hoping to continue to improve her golf game and take it to the next level.
“I would love to go to the U.S.,” she said.
Miron is in the envious position of playing her golf at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
“I am one of the special juniors there,” she said. “I had to apply and do an interview but it is so great. I am so lucky.”
Next stop on the tour is Monday at Grand Niagara.
Following are the leaderboards from Wednesday’s tour stop at Grand Niagara:
Under-19 girls: Megan Miron 78; Payton Bennett 81; Emily White 86; Sasha Baker 89; Casey Kenney 96; Alexis Alderson 97; Jade Gracie 109; Mya Mackey 112; Kate Jeffery 126.
Under-19 boys: Ben MacLean 66; Matthew Martel 71; Nolan Piazza 72; R.J. Derhodge 72; Ethan Siebert 76; Blake Pingue 79; Charlie Jeffries 82; Johnny Romak 82; Deryck Burke 83; Patrick Rekowski 84.
Under-15 boys: Isaiah Ellis 71; Sammy Rootes 77; John Kingdon 82; Anthony Sartor 84; Nathan Freure 87; Hudson Mielko 91; Kian Blair 95; Christian Rotundo 105; Liam Kirk 112.
Under-13 boys: Michael Martel 92; Will Burleigh 96; Elliott Christopher 105; Levi Moyer 109.
Under-11 boys: Ben Julie 89; Trent Clarke 98; Lucas Sartor 118.
