Shae Maunula at the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour in Warman after taking home second place in his age division. (Submitted photo/Jaime Maunula)

By Martin Martinson

A Season to Remember

Local golfer caps season with podium finish

Aug 25, 2020 | 12:53 PM

It’s been a season to remember on the golf course this year, for local Battlefords golfer, Shae Maunula.

Maunula wrapped up his golf season this week on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour with a second place finish in Warman in the Boys nine to 10 Age Division.

The 10-year-old standout, in just his second season competing on the golf circuit, finished just three shots back of Pilot Butte’s Austin Nesbitt for runner up honours. Maunula capped the summer with one tournament win, two second place finishes, and a third place finish over his four tournaments played.

“I am [pleased] with how I played and how the season went,” Shae said. “I wish I could have pulled through with the victory, but I did my best and that’s all I could have done. I golfed a lot this year and I really improved.”

Shae’s father, Scott Maunula, said he’s proud of his son’s ability to excel at the game he loves.

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“I think it was overall a pretty successful season for Shae this year,” Maunula said. “His strokes have dropped a pretty crazy amount from last year and he’s been playing pretty well. It was a good finish [this week], as he shot his personal-best of 73 Sunday in Warman and we were both happy with that result.”

Maunula said what really sets Shae apart is his attention to detail within the game.

“Just going around with him and watching him make the shots that he makes and think the game the way he thinks it is really amazing,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of 10 year olds who can think the game at that level. For a lot of kids it is just playing for fun, but for him it’s a little bit more than that. He actually thinks about it at a strategic level. So it’s a pretty proud moment as parents, that’s for sure.”

Shae will advance to the Boys 11 to 12 age group next season, something he said he’s already looking forward to, with the chance to face some new competition and take his game to the next level.

“I’m excited to golf next year because I’ll be competing against some kids that I haven’t really golfed with before and I think it will be fun,” he said.

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1