One change has been made to the scheduling of the area’s three city golf tournaments this year, that coming from The National which has moved the Westlake men’s event to July 12-14.

Club pro Joey Wancewicz made the announcement, adding that the original date of April 26-28 was just too early and during a busy period with Easter being the Sunday before.

That puts the Lake Charles city — June 21-23 at Mallard Cove — leading off the events. Sulphur’s city will be the last of the three, slated for October at a date yet to be determined.

Neithan Allen is expected back to defend the Lake Charles city title. He’s also the defending champion of the Westlake city. Gage Primeaux won the Sulphur crown in 2018.

Matt Nicholas, who owns the record of having won 10 area city titles (Lake Charles, Westlake and Sulphur), said last month that he was expecting to play in all three this year.

Westlake is the only city of the three that also sponsors city tournaments for women, seniors and juniors. They will take place in August. Pam Fossett won the women’s Westlake city title last year while Bill Stevens took the men’s senior and Neill Osbourne the men’s super senior.

l

Al Mosley said he couldn’t remember exactly when he had broken 80 for the last time, but he will definitely remember shooting 79 a week ago at Mallard Cove for his most recent “last time.”

He ran in a 12-foot putt to make par on his final hole to secure his 40-39 effort. Also during the round he had chipped in for a par on No. 9 and birdied No. 3.

This was his first time to break 80 at Mallard. The other times he cracked the mark came at Pine Shadows.

“A couple of years before it closed down,” the 76-year-old said of his last such feat at Pines.

Mosley has always belonged to a gang of players who play the game for fun. No quarter here, nickle there for the effort. His group might play the regular tees one time, the senior tees another and then the up tees another.

It’s a fun group that started with eight or nine at Pine Shadows. Two of the group passed away and two others don’t play much anymore.

Newman Williams continues with the group and former McNeese State basketball coach Steve Welch has joined.

“There’s not a lot of pressure in our game,” said Mosley who began playing golf at the old Bayou Oaks. “It’s just a matter of keeping up and ahead of the group behind us.”

He admits to playing better golf of late, adding that it could be his driving, his chipping or his putting.

“I don’t know why but I seem to be making better contact with the ball.”

He did say that his driver — a new senior shafted Ping — has been a big help, as he is hitting the ball straighter and farther.

l

Jerry Smith, Gray Little, Hubert Boales and Jim Onxley are other players who have been hitting the ball with consistency.

Smith eagled No.14 twice last week at Mallard. On a Thursday he knocked in a 5-iron from 150 yards and on Sunday holed out a 7-iron from 130 yards, shooting 75 and 80.

The 71-year-old Little used an eagle and three birdies to help him shoot his age last week while 88 year old Boales shot 77 with a birdie and Onxley, shot his age (74) while posting four birdies.

l

The 17th annual Cops and Jocks classic will be played May 3 at L’Auberge’s Contraband Bayou Golf Club, according to a recent announcement by tournament directors Alan Heisser and Don Dixon.

The event is a four/five-person scramble with morning and afternoon shotgun starts. A pairing party will take place on May 2 at the Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel and Casino.

Proceeds from the tournament go to families of Lake area police officers, McNeese athletics and various local charities.

Upcoming

Today — Lake Charles Country Club member-member.

May 4 — Mac Burns Golf Tournament, Frasch Park (Sulphur).

May 6 — Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame classic, Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel and Casino Country Club.

May 7 — Ray Dingler Memorial, Gray Plantation.

May 10 — Fellowship of Christian Athletes Classic, Lake Charles Country Club.

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