BARRIE, ON- Ryan Corbin proved to be the class of the field and the class of the nation, as he fired his second round under par in a row to capture the low overall title at the Mizuno CJGA National Golf Championship at National Pines Golf Club, in Barrie, Ont. Four days of absolutely perfect weather was the backdrop for exciting action in all divisions, as the Canadian Junior Golf Association crowned four new stroke-play National Champions.

Corbin finished the tournament with a 290 total at the difficult National Pines course, dipping into the red on the final two days to distance himself by eight strokes of his nearest challenger in the Boys 17-19 Division as well as the entire field – Ju Young Park, 17, of Scarborough, Ont. "It's huge – I've been waiting for this for awhile. I've been practicing pretty hard the last couple months," Corbin, the 17-year-old champion from Campbellville, Ont. said. "And to win by eight is just amazing – I would have never expected it, so it really is huge." Corbin entered the final day with just a three-stroke lead over local golfer Luke Godin, 17, of Barrie, Ont. – who ended up tied for third with Geoffrey McLeod, 19, of Toronto, Ont. at 302. "I just putted extremely well – that's the bottom line. I've never putted that well in my life," Corbin said, noting that he took only around 25 putts for each of the last two rounds. "I owe it all to my putter, to tell you the truth."

Brittany Henderson continued with what she did all week long – riding her unfaltering play to victory in the Girls Division. "I was playing pretty good the whole day – I was consistent again, and I was putting pretty well," the Smiths Falls, Ont. product, who had rounds of 75, 76, 78 and 76 for a 305 total, said. The 14-year-old credited "practice and dedication" for her ability to beat a nation-wide field of girls – many of whom are much older than her. Second round leader Laeni Bendzik, 17, from Calgary, Alb. also finished a strong tournament with a 305 score, grabbing second spot, while 13-year-old Hayley Brown, of Newmarket, Ont. was in third at 318.

Andrew Funk's suitcase will be a little bit heavier for his trip back to Edmonton, Alb. since he'll be carrying the trophy as National Champion of the Boys 14-16 Division along with him. The 16-year-old broke away from his competitors in the final group on the Back Nine, although he edged the fourth player who began the day tied for lead, by just one stroke. Ryan Sevigny, 16, of Stittsville, Ont. nearly matched Funk's 76 playing from the second-last group, but just barely missed out on a playoff. "It means a lot to play really well in a big event like this – especially not at home either," Funk, who had a 299 score for the four days of tournament, said. "I kinda struggled the first two rounds and then I played really, really well in the third round." His 3-under 69 for Round 3 was the key to his victory, as he moved from nine shots back in 18th place into a tie for the lead entering the final day. Third place in the division went to Steve Lee, 16, of Richmond Hill, Ont, who finished with a 302 total.

Barrett McCarthy did all he had to do to hold on to his title in the Boys 13 and Under Division – after his second round 69 gave him a sizable lead over the other juniors in his category – shooting 79s in Rounds 3 and 4 to keep seven strokes of the 11-shot advantage he had over second place. "I actually played pretty bad to shoot the 79s," the 13-year-old Oakville, Ont. native, who ended up with a 301 total, said with a laugh. "I didn't have any big, big numbers so I kept my lead by quite a bit." Justin Shin, the junior with the most wins in the category this season and eventual runner-up, pressed McCarthy for awhile – besting McCarthy on five consecutive holes – but things turned back in McCarthy's favour on the 13th hole when Shin, 13, of Richmond Hill, Ont. made a double-bogey to fall back. First round leader Richard Jung, 13, of North York, Ont. held on to third place in the category.

About Mizuno
Mizuno has built a reputation for producing the best forged irons in the industry. Mizuno's popular line of MP irons has become the iron of choice for many of the top players in golf, including dozens of players on the PGA Tour. Mizuno is also very well known for their putters, wedges, footwear, woods, bags and accessories.

The Canadian Junior Golf Association (CJGA) and Mizuno are pleased to announce the creation of The Mizuno All-Canadian Award. This award will be presented to one boy and one girl based on their academic and athletic achievements during the 2002 season. Winners of the award will be given All-Canadian status and receive a set of Mizuno irons and a Mizuno golf bag.

Please visit Mizuno at www.mizunocda.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:
Rick Betts
Director, Media Relations and Communications
Canadian Junior Golf Association
1.877.508.1069 Ext. 233
rick.betts@cjga.com

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