A local Yorkton golfer recently had yet another amazing experience playing the game he loves.
Kade Johnson, 17, was one of just four Canadian golfers invited to compete at the 2015 Srixon International Junior Classic golf tournament in Hunter Valley, New 麻豆传媒AV Wales, Australia, from September 29 to October 2, due to his strong season on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour this summer.
While at the Srixon Classic Johnson 鈥� who also golfs with the Sacred Heart Saints golf team - shot a 79th place, +34 for the four round tournament with rounds of +3 (75, first round), +7 (79, second round), +9 (81, third round) and +15 (87, fourth round) while competing against some of the top golfers from the Oceanic region as well as Asia, 麻豆传媒AV Africa and Hawaii in his second tournament of the year overseas.
鈥淚t was a great experience playing in Australia, just like it was great playing in Scotland,鈥� said Johnson, adding the Scotland trip helped ready him somewhat for his second competition across the ocean. 鈥淚n Scotland, that was my first time representing Canada and playing internationally on a team, so it definitely helped me prepare for Australia.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 quite as nervous in Australia as I was there (Scotland), but it was still a pretty awesome experience for sure even though my last round wasn鈥檛 that great.鈥�
Johnson said that while he really enjoyed the experience of golfing in yet another country (this brings the total to four competitively: Canada, USA, Scotland and Australia), his overall score suffered from a combination of extra rounds 鈥� he鈥檚 used to tournaments with two rounds, sometimes three 鈥� and jetlag. 鈥淭he first day I was feeling good, the third day I was a little tired and the fourth day, with the time change and everything, I was just exhausted,鈥� offered Johnson upon his arrival back in Canada. 鈥淚t was a long trip. Not long stay-wise, but the amount of travelling with the time difference (15-hour time difference).
鈥淎dd the fact that it was a four round tournament and it took its toll for sure.鈥�
But while the four rounds certainly took its toll on Johnson, he still shot his best front nine on Day Three, recording one birdie and eight pars for a one under 35 before ultimately shooting a +9 on the day. 鈥淚t felt good to go through half a round below par,鈥� said Johnson, adding that while he had a strong start to the second half of the tournament, he finished it with a weak score on his last round thanks in large part to the 14th hole; a hole that he had previously parred all three times. 鈥淭he course had a lot of hills so if you missed a shot your ball might roll down a hill.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what happened to me on the fourth round. I took the shot and my ball hit a car path and rolled about 150 yards from the green and needed 12 shots to get through the hole.鈥�
Overall though, Johnson feels he played well and represented Canada strongly in the Land Down Under. 鈥淚 think overall I did well. I made a few birdies and parred lots of the holes, so I鈥檓 pretty happy with the way things went.鈥�
Johnson will now prepare for the 2015 Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour Boston Pizza National Championship at Reunion Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, from November 6-8.
