Primo season of prep golf

Published 6:04 am Sunday, May 14, 2017

Barbe High senior Gage Primeaux backed up his victory in the recent state prep Division I championship by winning the Mallard Cove men’s club title last weekend.

He successfully defended the crown he won a year ago by posting rounds of 67-73 for a 140 and a three-stroke victory.

Bill Perkins finished second with 73-70—143 (he also won the net title) while John Garrett was third with 73-72—145.

In the second flight, Ricky Norwood took first place with 77-79—156, Bub Bel was second with 78-85—163 and Chance Curlee was third with 80-84—164.

Closest-to-the-pin honors went to Perkins and Brad Evans on No. 4, David Martin and Paul D’Antoni on No. 7, Derrian Webb and Scott Hudson on No. 11 and Garrett and Billy Creel on No. 16.

Next up at Mallard will be the men’s city championship, which is scheduled to be played June 23-24-25 with Matt Nicholas as the defending champion.

l

In another accolade for him, Primeaux was the area’s top scoring male high school golfer, according to final statistics compiled by Pat Neck.

Primeaux finished with a 70.54 average, nipping St. Louis’ Logan Kuehn who had a 70.7 mark.

Rounding out the top 10 were Eric Brown (Hamilton Christian) with 71.9, Zac Eisner (St. Louis) 75, Nick Guillory (Barbe) 76.46, Chase McCormick (Sulphur) 76.5, Brayden Wright (Sulphur) 76.8, Jace Benoit (Sulphur) 76.2, Nathan Grossi (Sam Houston) 77.5 and Matt Houston (St. Louis) 77.91.

Sulphur’s Brooke Tyree and Brooke Duzan led the girls, Tyree with a 72.09 average and Duzan with 75.4.

The other leaders were Daphney Tilton (Lacassine) 79.1, Carly Whittington (Lacassine) 81.09, McKenzie LeDuff (St. Louis) 83.65, Annie Thomas (Barbe) 84.67 and Lauren Anderson (St. Louis) 87.58.

l

Men’s state amateur tournaments begin again this week and local players will be involved.

The senior amateur will run May 18-20 at Southern Trace in Shreveport and area players competing will be Bill Stevens, Doug Quienalty, Billy Gabbert, Sid Bradley, Neill Osborne and Benny Holcombe.

A year ago Gabbert was the top local performer with a tie for 14th place.

And tomorrow at Southern Trace a qualifier for the U. S. Open will be played with Lake Charles Country Club assistant pro Greg Sonnier, McNeese golfer Sutton Farmer and Hamilton Christian’s Eric Brown in the field.

Also, Gage Primeaux will be in a field Tuesday at The Farm in Carencro attempting to earn a spot in June’s Louisiana men’s amateur.

l

The team of Pat Jarrett and Carrie Evans won last week’s Contraband Women’s Invitational with an 18-hole score of 63 at Mallard Cove. Becky Meaux and Sharon Berken shot 70 for second place and Kathy Owen and Pat Park were third with 71.

The second flight winners were Thelma Thibodeaux and Bobbie Arnold with 72, Hazel Adair and Rosa Herman with 75 and Cathy Buckley and Nancy Young with 77.

And taking honors in the third flight were Mary Taylor and Connie Rasa with 79, Tina Tran and Mary Brewer with 82 and Martha Lawhorne and Stacy Cloud with 84.

l

The team of Wayne Sweeney and Eddie Dearman shot 63-62 to win the recent 2 O’Clock spring four-ball tournament at the Country Club.

Joe Landry and Jamie Yelverton posted a 63-63 total for second place and Jim Fazende and Jim Mitchell shot 65-62 for third.

l

Also at the Country Club the past week ,Clayton Davis scored the area’s lone hole-in-one. He knocked in a 4-hybrid from 175 yards on No. 6.

Upcoming

Saturday — Mac Burns Golf Tournament, Frasch Park.

May 27 — Johnnie Thibodeaux Jr. Memorial, Mallard Cove.

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

l

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