CALGARY -- Monday was quiet at the Stampede grounds, for the first time ever, but surprisingly busy at McKenzie Meadows Golf Club.
That was the site of the second junior golf event on the McLennan Ross Tour put on by Alberta Golf, where golfers 19 and under compete.
While there were some messed up shots struck, there were also plenty of junior golfers who are using the downtime created by the pandemic to discover a game that had waned in popularity a little amongst younger athletes in recent years.
McLennan Ross Junior Golf Tour administrator Dunc Mills said the main goal was not necessarily grooming the next Tiger, but rather creating an afternoon where juniors can sample some of the pleasures of the links, and hopefully have a few laughs as well.
"These kids come out, they pay an entrey fee, and they get a meal," Mills said. "They get a chance to win some prizes - no guarantees though. Some kids do well and they win the loot.
"And some kids are trunk slammers," he added. "But it's a good way for these young people to get some exposure to competitive junior golf."
"I learned how to compete in golf, I guess," said Tobias Buffam.
For Kallie Yeske, the appeal was a little more holistic: "It's just fun to get out, especially when it's this nice outside," Yeske said.
Bennet Hoza sounded a bit like a player when he said, "I've been playing pretty good. It's kind of been evening out a little bit."
