Banner year for high school golfers

Published 6:38 am Sunday, May 7, 2017

The effort that area prep golfers put forth in last week’s state championship tournaments may have been the best ever.

Bear Suarez, a local pro and coach, said he can’t remember any better, and neither can those who have been around the programs since the 1970s. Suarez has been a high school and college player, coach and club pro.

What the young golfers brought home were two titles and two runners-up finishes in team competition, and two crowns, two runners-ups and numerous top 10s in individual efforts.

Sulphur High and Lacassine High won girls team titles while the St. Louis and the Hamilton Christian boys squads packed off second-place showings.

“This is the best that I can remember,” Suarez said of the performances.

“It’s cool to play golf right now,” he said. “It is way more popular than it has ever been and there are more athletes playing. Also there is more availability such as courses and tournaments.

“At the same time it takes a real commitment from the athletes and the parents to make it happen. The ones who are excelling are the ones who take the lessons and practice and play year-round. They are driven to do well in school and a lot of them want to go on and play at the next level.

“It boils down to who puts the time in, and kids in our area are doing just that right now. Congratulations to them.”

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Kaiman Bourgeois and Ricardo Boada posted highlights on local courses last week.

The 13-year-old Bourgeois collected a hole-in-one on the 11th at Mallard Cove. He knocked in a 5-iron from 122 yards.

Boada, a 67-year-old golfer, knocked in a 3-wood on the par-5 17th hole at The National in Westlake for a double eagle (albatross). It was his first. He also serves as a marshal at the course and has had two holes-in-one.

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The team of Gary Blackmon, Danny Tilton, Eddie Joslin and Robby Touchette won last week’s Ray Dingler Memorial scramble at the Lake Charles Country Club with a 54 total.

Closest-to-the hole efforts were taken by Shannon Tippie, Martin Byrley, Tilton and Roger Faulk, while Tippie and Beau Knowles had longest drives.

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The annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes tournament will be played Friday at the Country Club. It’s a four-person scramble with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start.

The driving range for early practice will open at 10:30 a.m. while sign- in will be at 11 a.m. A meal will be served at 11:15 a.m.

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The 12th annual Johnnie Thibodeaux Jr. Memorial will be at Mallard Cove on May 27. The event is a two-man scramble with a 1 p.m. shotgun start. The entry fee is $250 per team. All proceeds go to the Abrazando Cristo Mission program in Nicaragua, which is led by the Rev. Danny Torres.

Upcoming

Sunday — Mallard Cove men’s club championship, final day.

Tuesday — Contraband women’s tournament, Mallard Cove.

Friday — Callaway Epic club demo day, The National (Westlake), 1 p.m.

May 20 — Mac Burns Golf Tournament, Frasch Park (Sulphur).

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