Hodgins wins junior tourney for second year in a row

By Sean Rooney on May 10, 2018.

Medicine Hat News

For the second year in a row, Medicine Hat’s Ryan Hodgins has started the junior golf season with a win.

The 15-year-old fired a final-round 6-under 65 Sunday to claim first in his division at the Maple Leaf Junior Tour’s Alberta Spring Classic in Lethbridge.

Hodgins, now at the bottom of the 15- to 16-year-old juvenile division, only shot 74 in Saturday’s first round at Paradise Canyon but made the most of near-perfect conditions to win. A distinct lack of wind on the usually trying 18 holes played right into the players’ hands.

“With favourable scoring conditions, I just wanted to go as low as possible,” said Hodgins, who won with a 36-hole score of 148 in brutal conditions last year. “I feel very fortunate to have won this event two years in a row.”

Aside from the trophy, Hodgins also claimed an exemption into the Alberta junior and juvenile championship in July, as well as the Maple Leaf tour’s International Players Championship in August.

Fellow Hatter Caleb Kinch shot rounds of 71 and 77 to finish tied for fourth behind Hodgins, while Nolan Burzminski was tied for ninth at 151 and Sam Bratvold was 26th with a score of 167.

In the junior division, Medicine Hat’s Mathieu Chapdelaine, 17, was 16th with a two-day score of 164.