By Spencer Seymour
The Midwestern District Junior Optimists Championship tournament was held Aug. 13 at the St. Marys Golf and Country Club (SMGCC) with eight regional golfers, including one from St. Marys, qualifying for the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship at Doral, Fla. slated for July 2025.
Two of the golfers from the region to qualify for next year’s International Championship came in the Boys 14-15 age bracket, with Kolton McAllister of St. Marys and Belgrave’s Aiden Harding tying for second in their division. The top spot went to Noah Turner from LaSalle, who qualified for the next year’s global finals out of district.
McAllister described his enthusiasm for competing on the international stage in 2025.
“It feels great to have qualified to go to Florida next year,” said McAllister. “I’m super excited to get to go and play on a course as nice as the one in Florida, as well as get to compete with the best from around the world.”
McAllister said he felt himself getting in a groove early in the day before he began the actual round, and quickly rebounded after a misstep on his first hole.
“It started from the warm-up. I was hitting the ball really well on the driving range and my putting felt strong too. I actually didn’t start the way I wanted on my first hole, but I really locked in after that and felt I did a good job taking my time with my shots.”
McAllister also recounted one of the highlights of his rebound.
“On hole number 11, I had a really good drive and an even better secondary shot, which gave me the opportunity to putt for an eagle. Unfortunately, I missed the eagle putt but thankfully, I sunk the birdie putt after that.”
Alexa Todd of Owen Sound, the lone competitor in the Girls 15-18 division, shot a score of 80 that earned her a qualification for next year’s tournament in Florida. In the Boys 12-13 category, Mark Miller from London finished first and Shallow Lake’s Ashton Amyot took second, which earned both a spot in Florida. In the Boys 10-11 division, the top three each did enough to qualify for Florida, including Egmondville’s Jake McLlwain, Stratford’s Braden Keating, and Kincardine’s Hendrik McDougall.
South Huron Optimist Club President Rachel Skillen expressed gratitude for those who helped the young athletes compete and the St. Marys course and its employees for their work in getting the club playable after such heavy rainfall this summer.
“I want to thank the staff of the St. Marys Golf and Country Club for being wonderful hosts,” Skillen said. “We know they had to do a lot of hard work to get the course ready to play with all the rain we’ve had recently. We also are very thankful for the Optimist members who helped plan and execute the day, and to our starter, rules officials and marshalls for assisting our golfers throughout the day. Last but not least, thank you to the parents and grandparents who provided transportation and/or came to be spectators during the round.”
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