Martel keeps on winning
Michael Martel made it two wins a row on the Niagara District Junior Golf Tour Monday at Rolling Meadows.
Martel, who won last week with a 73 at Niagara National Golf and Country, carded a 67 to place first in the U17/19 boys division.
Martel said consistency was the key to his round.
“I didn’t miss too many fairways, and when I did, it wasn’t in a poor spot,” the 17-year-old Pelham resident said. “I only made two bogeys and the one was because I hit it into some trees.”
Martel, who managed to overcome a poor round putting last week, has no such trouble Monday and kept the mistakes to a minimum.
“I played well,” the Lookout Point member said. “I don’t tend to have too many big numbers out there. It just depends on how consistent I am with making par. Getting off the tee fine every hole is just a good set up. It’s always a nice feeling.”
Next up for Martel will be the Ontario Summer Games, August 1-4 in London.
“I played in it two years ago. It was definitely fun, a good time,” the Notre Dame graduate said. “The team environment is a bit different but I do enjoy it. It’s obviously nice and I know all the kids on the team.
“It puts a little less pressure on you every day, disperses it throughout the team so even if you struggle one day, your score doesn’t necessarily count.”
Andrew Burciul and Ryan Kirkpatrick tied for second at 74.
U15 BOYS
Brennan Turner returned after a week off to fire a 74 and claim top spot in the U15 boys division.
The 14-year-old Rockway Vineyards member was at the family cottage in Port Elgin and missed last week’s event after winning the first five stops on the tour this year.
“I played a couple of different courses when I was away,” Turner said. “The last course I played it was a lot tougher course than this one, tougher greens, so it was a little harder to get adjusted but it helped me keep in the flow of my game and didn’t get me rusty.”
Turner said he did get enjoy some much needed down time when he was away.
“I’ve probably played every day for the past two or three weeks so it was good to have a couple of days off and relax and not worry about having a tournament or a tee time to make the next day,” he said. “It was good; I definitely needed the break.”
Turner overcame a troublesome putter Monday.
“It was an all right day. I got off the tee pretty well but I could not putt today. My putter let me down,” he said. “I tried just to hit the greens in regulation and try to just two-putt if I could’t make the first one.”
Turner is slated to play in his club championship at Rockway this week before playing in the U15 provincial championships next Thursday and Friday. He is also slated to play in a stop on the Maple Leaf Junior Tour at Bond Head August 10-11.
Charlie Smith was second at 83 and Callum Birdsell third with an 87.
U19 GIRLS
Casey Kenney was back on top after placing second last week.
The 18-year-old Sir Winston Churchill graduate fired a 76 to easily outdistance Tiffany Kang for first place.
The win was the fourth on the tour this season for Kenney.
“My driver and irons were working really well,” Kenney said. “My short game kind of disappointed me today but I made up for it with a couple birdies!”
Kang was second at 88 while Alivia Nickason was third with an 89.
The next stop on the tour is Wednesday, August 14 at Grand Niagara.
U13 BOYS
1. Matthew Milton 99.
U15 BOYS
1. Brennan Turner 74; 2. Charlie Smith 83; T3. Callum Birdsell 87; T3. Mike Nevinger 87; 5. Alex Shorthouse 88; 6. Daxx Partridge 90; 7. Carter Thompson 95; 8. Logan Taylor 101.
U17/19 BOYS
1. Michael Martel 67; T2. Andrew Burciul 74; T2. Ryan Kirkpatrick 74; 4. Will Burleigh 76; 5. Elliott Christopher 79; 6. Carter Fulkerson 81; 7. Braxton Fleguel 82; 8. Cameron Strugar 84; 9. Thomas Gale 85; 10. Pearse Conlon 87.
U19 GIRLS
1. Casey Kenney 76; 2. Tiffany Kang 88; 3. Alivia Nickason 89; 4. Hazel Templeman 90.
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