Country Club out to defend LGA crown

Published 5:53 am Sunday, April 16, 2017

The Lake Charles Country Club will be out to defend its Louisiana men’s club team championship this weekend at the Contraband Golf Club, but it may not be easy.

Two of those challenging teams are from right around the corner.

“Last year we won by only three or four strokes, but we actually played a good back nine the last day as a team,” said the champions’ team captain and LCCC assistant pro Greg Sonnier.

Other members of his team are Billy Gabbert, Robbie Going, Hank Shaheen, Doug Quienalty and John Henry Faulk.

First-day competition is a two-man best ball with each team entering three twosomes and the scores of the best two counting. The final day is individual stroke play with the four best scores counted per team.

“With that many players no one player can carry a team. We really played solid as a team last year with everyone contributing,” Sonnier said, noting that this is what his squad will have to do this year.

As for the competition, he added that he heard The National in Westlake was entering two strong teams.

The National club pro Dave Kaspar will headline one of those teams and Adams Pro Tour Ben Suarez the other.

Joining Kaspar on his team will be multi-city champion Neithan Allen, Danny Engel, Byron Martin, Bill Stevens and Oludayo Kehinde. With Suarez on his squad will be Channing Kile, Cliff Meyer, Zak Barton, Blake DeReese and Russell LeBlanc.

“We feel we have two pretty good teams that should challenge the lead,” Kaspar said.

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Some nice scores and shots were produced the past week by golfers at The National.

Bradley Breaux shot better than his age for the first time. The 76-year-old came in with a 3-under-par 69. His round included an eagle on No. 6 where he holed out a wedge, as well as birdies on Nos. 5 and 12.

Kehinde produced an eagle on No. 16 while holing out a 139-yard shot with a wedge.

And Shane Patterson, a left-hander from Lumberton, Texas, knocked in a 4-hybrid from 158 yards out on No. 5 for his first hole-in-one.

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St. Louis High’s Logan Kuehn and Sulphur’s Brooke Tyree wound up the leading prep golf scorers for the regular season, according to statistics compiled by Pat Neck.

Kuehn posted a 70 average to just nip Gage Primeaux who had a 70.56 mark, while Tyree won her title by almost three shots with a 71.75 average.

Rounding out the top five of the boys were Eric Brown of Hamilton Christian (72.83), Barbe’s Nick Guillory (75.44) and Sulphur’s Chase McCormick (76.38).

Sulphur’s Brooke Duzan was second in the girls’ total with 74.14 followed by Lacassine golfers Daphney Tilton (79.38) and Carly Whittington (79.5) and St. Louis’ McKenzie LeDuff (84.12).

This week the prep golfers turn their attention to district play. Barbe, Sulphur and Sam Houston will play at Les Vieux Chenes on Wednesday, St. Louis at Gray Plantation on Monday and Hamilton Christian at Gray on Tuesday.

Area girls teams won’t begin competition until the regionals the following week.

Upcoming

Monday — USGA amateur four-ball qualifier, Contraband Bayou golf course.

Friday — Sheriff Tony Mancuso/LHSAA scramble, Frasch Park (Sulphur).

April 27-28 — Cops & Jocks Golf Classic, Contraband Bayou Golf Club.

April 29-30 — Gray Plantation member-guest.

May 2 — Ray Dingler Memorial, Lake Charles Country Club.

May 6-7 — Mallard Cove men’s club championship.

May 20 — Mac Burns tournament, Frasch Park.

June 3-4 — Plantation four ball, Gray Plantation.

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Louis Bonnette has written about local golf for the American Press since 1971. His column appears each Sunday. Contact him at 274-5689 or lbonnette@mcneese.edu