A new wave of local golf talent is emerging in Humboldt, with young players showing poise, passion, and promise on the course.
Jack Unrau, Tryton Langevin, Beau Tremblay and Max Braitenbach competed in the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour (MJT) event at Moon Lake, just outside of Saskatoon on Sunday.
The MJT is Canada’s top junior golf circuit that’s run by PGA of Canada Professionals and serves as a pathway towards college golf within North America.
It also provides an opportunity for high quality competition for the junior golfers.
Unrau, Langevin and Braitenbach competed in the Boys 9-10 category while Tremblay was in the Boys 11-12 group.
Unrau finished tied for 5th with a round of 92. Langevin was 7th with a 93 and Braitenbach was tied for 10th spot with a 106. Tremblay finished 4th in his group with a 92.
Following his round, Unrau was pleased to achieve some of his goals for the tournament.
“I wanted to place in the top five and get under 90 and have fun meeting more people and to learn more about golf with my dad.”
The competition surprised Unrau, as he expected to finish a little higher on the leaderboard when he walked off the course. He noted that the Moon Lake golf course presented some challenges, particularly with the number of hills. Sunday also marked his first time playing the course.
Golf has been a lifelong passion for Unrau, who started playing at the age of three and has held a membership ever since.
Along with the physical aspect of the sport, he says the audio component is one of his favourite parts of the game.
“Hearing the sound when you hit the ball, when it (the club) makes a good shot.”
He also enjoys the social element of the game, having fun with his friends.
Sunday’s event was Unrau’s second competitive tournament as he competed in Regina earlier this summer. He will be back in Saskatoon next month, competing in the MJT Mini Tour event on August 22.
During the summer months, Unrau tries to spend as much time on the golf course whether it’s in Humboldt or in St. Brieux, even though the calendar in June and July was filled with plenty of baseball.
The Humboldt Golf Club (HGC) offers a junior golf program on Mondays at the course that Unrau is involved in.
Younger golfers around the age of five shoot three holes from a customized tee box.
Unrau is also part of an advanced group that walks the back nine holes of the HGC. A leaderboard inside the clubhouse displays the golfers' scores and is updated weekly.
Earlier this month the HGC hosted some of the top golfers in the province with the Amateur Championship and Unrau hopes in his future that he can compete in an elite tournament at the HGC.
With dedicated young players like Unrau, Langevin, Braitenbach and Tremblay leading the way, the future of golf in Humboldt is in good hands — and it’s looking bright.