Daily Herald Staff
Dante Gamble took an early lead and ran away from the field on route to winning the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour Juvenile Boys title at Elk Ridge Resort on Aug. 9-10.
Gamble’s two-day score of 143 (71-72) was 13 strokes better than his nearest opponent. The 16-year-old from Duck Lake hit nine birdies and an eagle on route to the title.
Gamble’s scored was good enough to take home the Low Overall Boys Title as well.
“It feels pretty good to finally win a tournament after coming up short all year,” Gamble said in a press release.
Conditions varied at Elk Ridge, with players teeing off in wet conditions during the practice round. When the tournament officially started, players had to deal with soaring summer heat.
Gamble credited organizers and staff for doing a fantastic job under difficult conditions.
“Amazing people run these events,” he said. “Keep doing a great job.”
Fifteen-year-old Isaac Frei of Gray, Sask. finished second in the Juvenile Boys category (79-77-156) followed by another 15-year-old, Ian Davis of Saskatoon (78-79-157).
In the Junior Boys Division, 17-year-old Brady Guenther of Saskatoon took him the title following a three-way playoff with two other Saskatoon golfers: Braeden Kozak and Griffin Blanch.
All three golfers finished with scores of 151, but Guenther’s par on the second playoff hole secured the win.
“It feels great after not having my best stuff the second day,” Guenther said in a press release.
On the girl’s side, Saskatoon’s Sarah Henderson took home the MJT Girls 15-19 title with a comfortable 10 stroke win (88-80-168). La Ronge’s Miranda Merriman finished second (87-91-178) and Parker Laliberte of Meadow Lake finished third (101-95-196).
“It feels great to win, especially going into Nationals,” Henderson said. “It gives me an extra confidence boost.”
More than 100 golfers teed off during the tournament at Elk Ridge Resort, with most coming from Saskatchewan or Alberta.
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