Winners Crowned at Ping Canadian Junior Match Play Championship Presented by HSBC Bank Canada

Pickering, Ont.(June 29, 2007) – The final round of the Ping Canadian Junior Match Play Championship presented by HSBC Bank Canada was completed this afternoon with four dominant performances, and four new winners crowned as match play champions of the Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) after exciting semi-final and final matches on the intimidating course at Cherry Downs Golf & Country Club in Pickering, Ont. One of the toughest matches of the day, on paper, was seen in the final match of the Boys 13 & Under Division. Fourth seed Lucas Kim, 13, of Toronto, Ont. faced second seed Gajan Sivabalasignham for the division title. With three 2007 CJGA titles under Kim’s belt and two under Sivabalasingham’s, it was anyone’s match. After two strong holes at the start from Sivabalasingham, Kim began closing the gap, winning 8 of the next 11 holes to win 7 & 5. “I felt confident going into this match,” said Kim. “I kept it on the fairway and had strong approach shots. I really came back from the qualifying rounds.” 16-year-old Hailey Ingleson, of Oakville, Ont. seemed to get stronger as the tournament went on as she claimed the Girls Division title. Her opponent, Lauren Muir, 18, of Toronto, Ont., upset top seed Brianna Cooper, 15, of Kincardine, Ont. on the twentieth hole to advance to the finals. Muir’s strong play continued into the finals, but unfortunately was no match for Ingleson who took the finals 5 & 4. “I was a lot more nervous and tired in this last match,” admitted Ingleson. “But I just took each hole as it came and concentrated on my putting.” Brian Churchill-Smith, 16, of Oakville, Ont., went into the day as the lowest seed remaining in the field, but came out victorious in the Boys 14-16 Division. As the 16th seed, Churchill-Smith faced two very strong juniors on Friday, first edging Patrick Williams, 16, of Toronto, Ont. 2-up before taking out seventh seed, Toronto, Ont. resident Jordan Jackson, 15, 4 & 3 in the final. Although Jackson put up a tough fight, Churchill-Smith did not give up any mistakes to his adversary. “I drove the ball well and played par 5’s as three-shot holes,” shared Churchill-Smith. “I didn’t give away any strokes.” An impressive performance came from the Boys 17-19 Division champion Michael Gligic, 17, of Burlington, Ont. Gligic, who went into the match play portion of the four-day event as the third seed, won a tough semi-final match 2 & 1 against second seed Sebastian Szirmak, 17, of Toronto, Ont. He then went on to defeat fifth seed Gregory Belsito, 19, of Thornhill, Ont. in the division finals. Although Belsito came out with an aggressive style of play, it was not enough to hold off Gligic, who played flawlessly and took the match 6 & 5. “I played consistently and putted well out there,” explained Gligic. “I had an eagle, a birdie, and I pared the rest.” With this win under his belt, Gligic now holds all three CJGA National titles.

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. Please visit PING at www.pinggolf.com

About HSBC Bank Canada HSBC Bank Canada,
a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, has more than 170 offices and is the leading international bank in Canada. With around 9,500 offices in 76 countries and territories and assets of US$1,738 billion at 30 June 2006, the HSBC Group is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organizations. For more information please visit www.hsbc.ca

About the CJGA Registered federally as a not-for-profit association,
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 competitive golf. Through its six-stage competitive development program that focuses on tournaments, clinics, international competitions, and mentoring programs with PGA Tour professionals, the CJGA introduces the game to juniors as young as five and offers competitive multi-day events for the more advanced golfer. The CJGA acts as a feeder system to provincial and national competitions, collegiate and university golf, as well as professional and recreational golf. For more information please visit www.cjga.com.

For Additional Information:
Carolyn Arbuckle
Communications Assistant
Canadian Junior Golf Association
1.877.508.1069 Ext. 228
carolyn.arbuckle@cjga.com

Rick Betts Director,
Media Relations and Communications
Canadian Junior Golf Association
1.877.508.1069 Ext. 233
Cell: 416.708.1482
rick.betts@cjga.com