Junior golfers from across the Canadian Prairies descended upon Elmwood Golf Club in Swift Current, SK, over the May long weekend, to compete in the two-day Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour’s MJT Golf Saskatchewan Order of Merit (OOM) Series presented by Ilta Grain.
Among the winners in Swift Current was Yorkton’s Ella Kozak.
Kozak, 13, has had a remarkable start to the 2019 season winning her third straight 2019 MJT tournament in the Canadian prairies.
Kozak, who fired rounds of 81 and 80 (161) claimed both the Hoselton trophy in her division and the Low Overall Girls score.
Kozak may barely be a teenager, but she is becoming a veteran of the links.
When asked how long she has been golfing she replied “probably six or seven years.”
Kozak said her start in the sport was rather simple.
“I followed my dad out to the golf course,” she said, adding that she wanted to try the sport and was soon eager to take lessons to get better at the game.
So what attracted the young Kozak to golf?
“I just like the experience of meeting new people,” she said, “and, I really like golf as a sport.”
When it comes to a strategy in a tournament Kozak said she tries to just play her own game.
“I like to focus on being better than I did the first day,” she said.
When playing a new course in a tournament Kozak said the practice round is a key as it allows her to get a feel for what clubs fit which holes, and how the greens play.
In some tourneys she gets some added help as father Rob Kozak, (Diana is her mother), acts as her caddy. The young golfer said having him on course does add some pressure at times, knowing he is watching every shot up close, but he is also an asset providing some help when needed.
While Kozak is only in Grade 7 at Columbia School, she said she is already thinking that golf might open doors to college opportunities through a scholarship.
“I have been thinking about different schools,” she said, adding Arizona and Florida have her interest at present.
The next Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour stop in Saskatchewan is back in Swift Current - the MJT Golf Saskatchewan OOM Series presented by Ilta Grain at Chinook Golf Course on June 22 to 23. This tournament features a qualifier for the Nordic Team Matches in Sweden. For more information or to register, please visitwww.maplejt.com or call 1-877-859-4653.
About the MJT:The non-profit Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour presented by Boston Pizza is Canada’s number one-played Junior Golf Tour as well as the only national junior tour run exclusively by PGA of Canada Professionals and the ‘Road to College Golf’ in Canada. The organization is presented nationally by Boston Pizza and supported by valued Premier, Tournament and Product Partners. The MJT hosts close to 80 events across Canada, including free Ford Go Golf Junior Clinics, the MJT Mini Tour for 7 to 12 year olds, the Collegiate Tour for 19 to 23 year olds, and multi-day events for competitive players aged 11 to 18 which are also qualifiers for international competitions. The program offers annual awards, scholarships, and frequent player incentives to help reward player's performance and participation throughout each season. MJT alumni include many Professional Tour players and PGA of Canada Professionals, as well as Canadian Amateur, National and Provincial Junior Champions. The MJT aims to develop champions, in golf and in life, promoting the game from grassroots through to provincial, national, university and professional level. For more information, seewww.maplejt.com.
