One hole stalled Blake DeReese’s quest to join an elite group at last year’s Lake Charles city championship.

He will look to make up for that momentary lapse and become the ninth multi-winner when the 45th edition of the tournament opens today at Mallard Cove Golf Course.

In 2023, a wayward shot into a sand trap turned into a double bogey with four holes left took him out of a tie with five-time champion Matt Nicholas. It was double bogeys two weeks ago that left DeReese out of the top 10, tying for 16th, at the Louisiana State Amateur Championship in Baton Rouge.

“I would say stay away from double bogeys,” DeReese said. “You are probably going to make bogeys out there, and birdies are available. If you can stay away from the doubles or more than double, then I think I would be pretty satisfied. I think at the state am I had four double bogeys, maybe five. That was the difference in my shooting under par and over par.”

DeReese said the open layout of the three-year-old course suits his style of play.

“I like it because of the aiming out there,” he said. “To me, it lets you swing a little bit freely because there are not a lot of trees that you have to maneuver around. I feel like that suits my golf game a little more instead of getting on a golf course like I was at the state am which was tight with trees on all sides and out of bounds. It kind of tightens you up a little bit.”

DeReese said he has worked on physical conditioning lately to improve his game.

“It is more trying to get my body back in shape,” said DeReese, a former high school quarterback and baseball player. “I had been struggling for a few years and getting old. So I started getting in shape the last couple of years, it has helped my swing a little bit.”

DeReese will tee off at 3 p.m. in a three-some that includes two other former champions, Nicholas (2023, ’16, ’14, ’04, ’01) and Hank Shaheen (2022).

“They got me with Matt and Hank. They are really good players.”

In the next group is another former champion Gage Primeaux (2017). He was runner-up to Shaheen in 2022 and fifth last year.

Other past champions in the Championship Flight include two-time winner and tournament record holder (2000, 2010) Jacob Lejeune (2010, ’11) and seven-time champion Billy Gabbert (2006, ’03, ’02, ’00, ’97, ’95, ’86).

Besides the veterans from the area amateur ranks, there are several younger players in the field, including St. Louis Catholic sophomore Kye Hanks, who led all Southwest Louisiana prep golfers with a 72.53 stroke average in the spring and Nicholls State freshman Collin Jones (Westlake), who was the Division II individual medalist in 2023, and University of New Orleans freshman George Trappey, a member of two state championship teams at St. Louis.

“They have some really good young golfers in it that have been playing some good golf,” DeReese said.

45th Annual Lake Charles City Championship

At Mallard Cove

Golf Course

Friday Tee Times

Championship Flight

3 p.m. — Matt Nicholas, Hank Shaheen, Blake DeReese.

3:08 p.m. — Gage Primeaux, Austin DeReese, Skylar Petroski.

3:16 p.m. — Zachary Robertson, Collin Jones, Jackson Wood.

3:24 p.m. — Thad Gaspard, Jacob Lejeune, Dustin Bertrand.

3:32 p.m. — Alex Augustine, George Trappey, Kye Hanks.

3:40 p.m. — John Morrissey, Billy Dressler, Scott Hines, Billy Gabbert.

Past Winners

The tournament was changed to a 54-hole (par 216) format for the championship flight in 1997:

2023 — Matt Nicholas 208

2022 — Hank Shaheen 213

2021 — No tournament

2020 — No tournament

2019 — Phillip Hoffpauir 213

2018 — Neithen Allen 208

2017 — Gage Primeaux 204

2016 — Matt Nicholas 207

2015 — Neithen Allen 209

2014 — Matt Nicholas 212

2013 — Neithen Allen 205

2012 — Robby Going 210

2011 — Jacob LeJeune 214

2010 — Jacob LeJeune 200

2009 — Jason Horn 206

2008 — Robby Going 203

2007 — Blake DeReese 210

2006 — Billy Gabbert 212

2005 — George Cestia 212

2004 — Matt Nicholas 208

2003 — Billy Gabbert 208

2002 — Billy Gabbert 213

2001 — Matt Nicholas 209

2000 — Billy Gabbert 208

1999 — Phillip Hoffpauir 143

1998 — Phillip Hoffpauir 210

1997 — *Billy Gabbert 226

1996 — *+Chris Malone 106

1995 — Billy Gabbert. 142

1994 — Brian Hirsch Jr. 146

1993 — Wayne Sweeney 147

1992 — *Phillip Hoffpauir 146

1991 — *+Chris Johnson 110

1990 — David Berry 149

1989 — ++Benny Holcombe 71

1988 — *Lawrence David 146

1987 — Keith Harris 140

1986 — Billy Gabbert 142

1985 — *Rick Woodsen 147

1984 — Don Bladen 146

1983 — Scott Reeves 145

1982 — Billy Trent 143

1981 — Ron O’Brien 147

1980 — Don Scott 139

1979 — Don Scott 142

1978 — Ron O’Brien 151

* — won playoff; + — rain shortened (27 holes); ++ — rain-shortened (18 holes).

Most Championships

7 — Billy Gabbert. 5 —Matt Nicholas. 4 — Robby Going. 3 — Neithen Allen, Phillip Hoffpauir. 2 — Jacob LeJeune, Ron O’Brien, Don Scott. 1 — Hank Shaheen, Blake DeReese, Gage Primeaux, George Cestia, Chris Malone, Brian Hirsch, Jr., Wayne Sweeney, Chris Johnson, Jason Horn, David Berry, Benny Holcombe, Lawrence David, Keith Harris, Rick Woodsen, Don Bladen, Scott Reeves, Billy Trent.