Birdies lift golfer into win column
MacLean’s 6-under 66 tops junior tour leaderboard at Grand Niagara
Ben MacLean’s playing partners could be excused for thinking they spent Wednesday in front of a camera at a photo studio instead of on the greens at Grand Niagara Golf Club.
They got to “watch the birdie” eights time in all as MacLean shot a 6-under-par 66 for a fivestroke victory over Matthew Martel.
The Grade 10 student at A.N. Myer Secondary School carded identical nines of 33 for his second win in a row on this summer’s Niagara District Junior Golf Tour.
Tied for third, six off the pace, were Nolan Piazza and R.J. Derhodge, who like MacLean are from Niagara Falls.
MacLean has only played two of the five tour events this season but has emerged as the winner each time. On Monday, his 3-underpar 69 topped the leaderboard in the boys under 19 flight at Lookout Point, his home course in Fonthill.
MacLean didn’t decide until “some time Tuesday” that he would be competing at the Grand Niagara stop. “I think I’ve played pretty well here in past years. I like the course,” he said.
In 2018 and ’17, MacLean finished with a 78 and a 74, respectively, competing in the boys under 15 flight.
On Wednesday, approach shots and putting contributed to the convincing victory.
MacLean started thinking about being in a winning groove when he was three-under after six holes. For the final 12 holes, he tried to think about anything but his position as the frontrunner. “I try not to think about my score. I just try to think about my next shot.”
While MacLean is happy with his putting so far this season, his top priority is improving his short game.
“Putting can always be improved.”
He hopes his experience on the junior tour and playing at tournaments will put his name in the conversation when Division 1 programs start offering golf scholarships
MacLean was asked whether getting on the recruiting is more about performance than it is about self-promotion.
“You have to do both. You have to perform in tournaments, and you have to send out a resume of your golf profile,” he said.