Eric Kaspar made it in last week to take over as the director of golf at The National in Westlake, just in time to handle the three-weeklong Westlake city golf championship.

The Westlake city event is the only one in the area to crown junior, senior men, women and men champions. It teed off last week with Dezmenn Reich winning the boys title and Abbie Richard the girls. 

Reich, who is a senior at Barbe High and ranked No. 27 on the Texas Junior Golf Tour, shot 74-79—153 for his title and Richard, a junior at Sulphur High and a member of two state championship teams, posted an 85-75—160 score for her crown. Runner-up to Reich was Coby Wynn with 83-77—160.

“I’m getting acclimated,” Kaspar said of his new position, having taken over from brother Dave who retired as a golf professional after 25 years, the last three years at The National.

“I’m enjoying the staff and the course and we’re ready for a good city championship. It’s nice to get back home and see some people I haven’t seen in a long time.”

The men’s senior championship will conclude this afternoon. The field teed off with Bill Stevens as the defending champion and Gerald Quarles as the senior super champ.

This coming weekend — Saturday and Sunday — the women’s championship will be played with Pam Fossett as the defending champion while the follow week — Aug. 18-20 — the men’s championship will take place. Neithan Allen is the defending champion.

This is the second area city championship of the year. Gage Primeaux won the Lake Charles city title several weeks ago at Mallard Cove and the Sulphur city championship will be played later in the year at Frasch Park.

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The LGA Mid-Amateur Championship (open to men 25 years and older) has been running this week at Bayou Oaks at City Park golf course in New Orleans and will conclude today.

Locals in the event are Matt Nicholas, Blake DeReese, Hank Shaheen, Robby Going, Billy Gabbert, Kyle Collins, Channing Kyle, Marcus Bougard, Nathan Clark and Chris Dickson.

A year ago Nicholas tied for 13th place and Going tied for 15th to lead the area entries.

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Former city champions Jason Horn and Matt Nicholas withstood a strong challenge from the teams of Gage Primeaux-Logan Kuehn and Chris Gentry-John Morrissey to win last week’s Shine Flournoy tournament at Mallard Cove.

The winning duo posted a 122 score to win by a shot over Primeaux-Kuehn and Gentry-Morrissey.

Chris Hood and Doug Quienalty placed fourth with a 127 score.

Taking first flight honors was the team of Jake Buford and Brian Brown with 124 while other flight winners were Dylan Deville and Layton Braneff in the second (133), Matthew Peek and Jamie East in the third (130), Andy Dressler and Jordan Legros in the fourth (136) and Kevin Guilbeaux and Matt Coniglio in the fifth (135).

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Some of those winners will be among those entered in this week’s Prien Lake Four Ball at the Lake Charles Country Club.

Championship contenders are expected to be the teams of Primeaux and John Henry Faulk, Hood and Quienalty, Morrissey and Shane Heinen and Gabbert and Shaheen.

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Brooke Tyree, a senior at Sulphur High, tied for 17th place in the recent Optimist World Junior Golf championship in Florida. She shot 77-80-73-74—304.

A total of 142 nationally ranked junior girl golfers from throughout the world competed.

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The lone hole-in-one reported last week came from Robert McCorquodale at Mallard Cove. He aced the No. 7 hole by knocking in a wedge from 110 yards.

It was his first ace in a 45-year golfing career.

Upcoming

Aug. 14 — J.T. Mitchell Memorial, Lake Charles Country Club.

 

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