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Battlefords golfer wins Red Deer tournament

Jun 17, 2016 | 5:00 PM

After winning school and club tournament championships, a Battlefords 14-year-old finally won the big one.

Colby Friedrich went to Red Deer June 11 and 12 and came home bearing a trophy after winning the bantam boys division in the Maple Leaf Junior Tour (MJT) tournament.

Friedrich said this is his first win at a bigger tournament. “I feel like I have a chance to win every tournament, it’s just a matter of hitting the shots to give myself the chance. I had solid ball striking and putted well,” he said.

The Maple Leaf Tour has tournaments all over the country, culminating with the championships in Phoenix, Arizona in November. The next event in Saskatchewan is in Estevan July 2-3.

Friedrich topped the 14 golfers in the bantam division by firing a two-day total of 148, five strokes ahead of the next two golfers.

“After I had won my first thought was I had finally broken through and won an MLJT event,” Friedrich said. “I had won three other tournaments, but they were school and club tournament championships. I feel this will make me more confident moving forward into more tournaments.”

He said one of the second place finishers, Ryan Hodgins of Medicine Hat, had closed the gap to within two strokes after Friedrich had four-putted on a pair of holes.

Friedrich put himself in a good position after the first day of golfing, shooting a one-under 71 by sinking five birdies. While he managed three birdies on day two, Hodgins had just two. Another second place finisher, Thomas Sluka of Canmore, shot six strokes better than Friedrich on the second day, but wasn’t able to catch the Battleford native after a 10-stroke deficit following day one.

Friedrich plans to be in Estevan for his next MJT Tour event during the Canada Day long weekend.

cjnbsports@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @craig_beauch