Fall practice begins for area juniors

Published 5:50 pm Sunday, September 17, 2017

Practice has started for the area’s junior golf travel teams and coach Bear Suarez said the bosy and girls squads will be playing in tournaments up until the start of prep golf next year.

He also noted that the Southwest Louisiana Junior Golf Association-sanctioned squads will be adding junior high teams later in the fall.

The teams, which are comprised of the top prep players in the area, are scheduled to play at least one tournament per month through February.

A year ago both the boys and girls teams won a tournament, each taking the top prize in an event play at the Conroe (Texas) Country Club. The girls will get their season underway next month in this event and the boys will follow in November.

The squads will be playing against top teams in Texas in events around Houston and will make one appearance in a nationally ranked tournament at the Jackson (Miss.) Country Club.

Other courses they will be playing in Texas are the Bentwater Country Club (Montgomery), The Woodlands and Kingwood.

Key performers back for each team are Brayden Wright for the boys and Brooke Tyree for the girls. Both are members of the Sulphur High School team, Tyree a senior and Wright a junior.

Suarez said the girls travel team is complete while competition continues for the boys squad.

Joining Tyree on the girls team will be Daphney Tilton (junior at Lacassine High), Carly Whittington (sophomore at Lacassine), McKenzie Leduff (sophomore at St. Louis High), Abbie Richard (junior at Sulphur High) and Chloe Lantier (sophomore at Sulphur).

This will be the fourth season of competition for the teams.

This year’s teams will be helped with coaching from Ben Suarez, who will resume his professional career later in the fall. He is expected to begin competition in a mini-tour focused in the Houston area.

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Greg Sonnier, the assistant pro at the Lake Charles Country Club, won last week’s National Car Rental Gulf States Assistant Pro championship at Bayou Oaks in New Orleans.

The victory qualified him for the national event, which will be held Nov. 9-12 on the Wanamaker course at Port Saint Lucie, Florida.

Sonnier shot rounds of 72-77 to win by two shots. A year ago he qualified for the final as an alternate but did not make the 36-hole cut.

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Taking place at the Lake Charles Country Club this weekend is the annual men’s senior championship. It will conclude today. The field teed off yesterday with Doug Quienalty as the defending champion and Mike Sarver as the defending super senior champ.

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The final local city championship of the year — the Sulphur city — will be played Oct. 7-8 at Frasch Park.

Club pro and tournament director George McInnis said entries are being accepted.

Matt Nicholas, who won the recent Westlake city title, will be back to defend the Sulphur crown he won last year. Also expected to be in the field is reigning Lake Charles city champ Gage Primeaux.

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Marcus Bougard and Kyle Collins were the top local performers in the recent U.S. mid-amateur qualifier at Koasati Pines in Kinder.

Bougard shot 79 and tied for 10th place while Collins posted 80 and tied for 12th. A 3-under 69 by Derek Busby of Ruston earned the qualifying spot.

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Bryan McCullough, Ricky Norwood and Rene Durflinger all placed in the top 10 in last week’s LGA net amateur tournament at Koasati Pines.

McCullough tied for fifth place with 68-76—144 while Norwood (75-74—149) and Durflinger (73-76—149) tied for ninth place. 

Chad Belanger of Zachary took the title with 67-69—136, winning by four shots.

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McNeese State Cowboys golf opener in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, last week had to be postponed because of Hurricane Irma and was rescheduled for November.

The Cowboys will get their schedule underway this week in the Golfweek Conference Challenge at the Cedar Rapids Country Club in Iowa.

The Cowgirls also open this week in the South Alabama Intercollegiate at The Crossing course in Mobile.

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Johnny Beaugh shot his age at Mallard Cove last week, posting a 1-over-par 73. It was the first time for him to shoot his age.

Upcoming

Sept. 29 — McNeese Cowboy Rally, Lake Charles Country Club.

Oct. 6 — Bishop’s Golf Classic, The National (Westlake).

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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