July 22, 2005

GEORGETOWN, ON- The final round of the PING Eastern Canadian Junior Championship was completed today at Eagle Ridge Golf Club in Georgetown, Ont. despite threats from early-morning clouds and a much larger threat that some golfers would not be able to finish their rounds because of the cup location on the fourth green. The almost impossible pin placement – one of many for the third round on the course – was survived by the juniors as they put on a great show to decide who would win Canadian Junior Golf Association division titles.

Fifteen-year-old Erica Rivard topped the biggest Girls Division of the year on the CJGA Junior Tour thanks to her 240 three-day total. "[The win] shows that I can play against these girls – half of them probably have scholarships now or are getting looked at – so to beat them, it's huge because now I feel like I can actually play against girls of that caliber," the Tecumseh, Ont. resident said. In second place, four shots off the pace, was Diana Torry, an 18-year-old visitor from Trinidad and Tobago who will be playing in the upcoming Stephen Ames Cup. She picked up the best result for the contingent of golfers from Trinidad and Tobago – whose upbeat nature and constant smiling faces permeated throughout the tournament. In the Girls Division, the camaraderie between the Canadian golfers and the Trinidad and Tobago juniors was particularly evident as they joked around with each other long after the round was over. "It was really fun – they're really nice people and it'd be good to play with them again," Rivard said. Third place in the category went to Addi McLaren, 18, of Oshawa, Ont., who posted the lowest score of the division with a 77 on the final day to move up from sixth place.

Tim Lew survived the tough pin placements en route to a 74 to capture the Boys 17-19 Division as well as the low overall score, finishing with a one-under 212 total for the three rounds. "[The course] played really hard – I think par for me today was about 77 – some of those pins were really frustrating," the 17-year-old Courtice, Ont. product said. Wendell Touhey, 19, from Ottawa, Ont. pushed Lew as best he could, shooting 75, but could not keep up with Lew and had to settle for second place, three strokes behind. "I really made a conscious effort today to make no mistakes," Lew explained. "Everything looked bigger – the holes, the fairways, the greens – everything looked bigger." Lew hoped that bigger things were still to come for him as he'll try to duplicate his performance for the PING Canadian Junior Matchplay Championship, to be played in early August. Third place went to Alex Carrigan, 17, of Guelph, Ont., who had a three-day total of 217.

The Boys 14-16 Division provided the most drama for the day, as 13 juniors were within four shots at the start of the day, including the three tied for the lead. Eventually, a two-horse race developed, with Alex Hrycko, 16, of Toronto, Ont. and Jed Walmsley, 15, of Cheltenham, Ont. creating a gap from the pack. They went back-and-forth until their final hole of the shotgun start tournament – the dreaded fourth hole. "I ended up getting a double-bogey, and I sunk about a four-foot slider to win," Hrycko, the eventual winner, said. The putt he made, he pointed out, was the difference between winning and fourth place, as a missed putt would have rolled him back off the green – a fate suffered by many juniors who didn't find the cup that was cut near the green's edge on an up-slope. "I just smiled – I couldn't believe it because [Walmsley] gave me a good run for my money down the stretch." The win was Hrycko's first on the CJGA Junior Tour, as he proved himself against a very talented and accomplished field. Walmsley was in second, just a shot away, with Benjamin Martin, 15, of Trinidad and Tobago bringing more hardware home for the T + T team.

Patrick Cansfield of Port Huron, MI felt the wrath of the tough greens – with six three-putts and a four-putt – but still ran away with the Boys 13 and Under Division, outclassing the field with a 31-stroke victory. "I played strong," the 13-year-old said. "A 20-shot lead would have been pretty hard to blow, but I'm glad I didn't blow it." He still sees room for further improvement in his game though, especially with his putting, and also with the length he hits the ball. Trinidad and Tobago took home the second and third place prizes, with Sirron Melville, 13, and Timothy Martin, 12, grabbing those trophies respectively.

The first and second place finishers in each division were awarded PING golf bags in what lived up to be one of the CJGA's biggest and best events of the year.

About PING:
PING clubs are designed with innovative features to enhance the golfer's performance. PING clubs are designed to fit the individual golfer. PING offers a wide range of products to suit the golfer to maximize their potential for success. PING is the title sponsor for the PING Canadian Junior Match Play Championship, the PING Western Canadian Junior Championship and the PING Eastern Canadian Junior Championship.

Please visit PING at www.pinggolf.com

About the CJGA:
As the official junior golf association in Canada, the Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) is dedicated to providing Canada's junior golfers with the necessary skills and knowledge required to lay a foundation for a future in the game. Through its six stage competitive development program, the CJGA introduces the game to juniors as young as five and offers competitive multi-day events for the more advanced golfer. In 2005, the CJGA will conduct over 90 tournaments across Canada. Included in the tournament schedule is a number of qualifying events for international tournaments initiated to give juniors the chance to represent their country, to test their skills against the rest of the world and to give them the opportunity to gain exposure to college coaches. The CJGA is a not-for-profit Canadian Registered Athletic Association with Revenue Canada.

For Additional Information:
Dan Plouffe
Communications Assistant
Canadian Junior Golf Association
1-877-508-1069
dan.plouffe@cjga.com

Rick Betts
Director, Media Relations and Communications
Canadian Junior Golf Association
1.877.508.1069 Ext. 233
rick.betts@cjga.com