North Battleford golfer bounces back from nationals with first hole-in-one, 10-stroke win

“On the first day, on the third hole, I got my first hole-in-one, which was very exciting,” Maunula said. “I was really, really happy.”

The ace on the par-three third hole also earned her closest-to-the-pin honours, while she also won the long-drive competition. Maunula also pointed to a 64-foot birdie putt on the 18th as another highlight.

The performance followed a much different experience at the Canadian Under-15 Championship, held Aug. 25-26 in Bath, Ont., where Maunula made her national debut after winning Saskatchewan’s under-15 girls title in July.

She shot rounds of 88 and 91 and finished 43rd.

“For me, [they] are not very good numbers,” she said. “But my driver was very good and my putting was not bad either. So I mean, there’s always positives coming out of the situation.”

The national stage also brought pressure she said she does not usually feel.

“I am not a very nervous person, but in nationals, I was very scared on playing those rounds,” she said.

“I just wanted to do well for my community, for North Battleford. And though I didn’t perform like I wanted, I did have a lot of compliments and a lot of motivation. And so I’m very, very thankful to the community.”

After the tournament, Maunula took part in camps focused on the driving range, putting green and ways to structure practice more efficiently for competition.

“I’m going to take what I did well in this tournament, and I’m going to make sure I keep practicing that so I know exactly what I’m supposed to do in every situation,” she said.

Her next tournament is scheduled for Sept. 15 and 16 at Moon Lake, outside Saskatoon.

Maunula’s interest in golf began in Grade 5, when her family spent a year in Phoenix, Ariz. She and her brother Shae played the par-three Cub Course at Bear Creek.

“And I realized that I could play 18 holes and not get tired and not get bored,” she said. “So I was like, hey, this is actually kind of fun.”

She began practising more and entered tournaments after returning from the United States.

“It was that course that just made me fall in love with the game.”

Golf has since become something Natalie and Shae share competitively, with both putting together strong summers.

Shae recently won the 2026 Coca-Cola Junior Male Lobstick championship at Waskesiu. In July, he shot 68, 74 and 69 to finish five-under at the Saskatchewan Junior Boys Championship in Warman, winning the under-17 division, placing second overall and earning a spot on Team Saskatchewan.

Despite their success, Natalie said their relationship is based more on support than rivalry.

“We just support each other and lift each other up and get each other ready for the next tournament.”

Maunula also credited her parents for helping make the travel and competition possible.

“If it wasn’t for them, I would not be able to travel around Canada to play in these tournaments,” she said. “So I really appreciate their work as well.”

With another tournament approaching, Maunula said the goal is to keep building.

“I’m going to practice extra hard so that in the upcoming tournaments I can perform even better.”

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com

by Kenneth Cheung

North Battleford golfer bounces back from nationals with first hole-in-one, 10-stroke win

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