The first time Matt Nicholas played in the Lake Charles City Championship in 2001, he walked away a champion. Nearly a quarter century later, he is still one of the top golfers in Southwest Louisiana after winning his sixth Lake Charles City Championship on Sunday at Mallard Golf Club.  
 
“I am confident in the practice that I have put in over the years,” Nicholas said. “Anytime I can lace them up, I just love to compete. That is what fuels my fire in life.”  
 
After his latest triumph at Mallard, Nicholas is approaching rare air that many probably thought couldn’t be matched. He is now one title behind Billy Gabbert’s record of seven City Championships. Gabbert won his first in 1986 and his last one in 2006.  
 
“It is just a number,” Nicholas said. “I don’t track records and stuff like that. He is the city champ. I think his nickname is ‘7-times’.   
 
“He is well deserving of all the titles and what he had to do to get them. Winning is difficult at any level, especially when you have to win against your peers. He is in my reach for sure. I like our chances to at least tie him.”  
 
Nicholas finished at 2-under 214 while 2017 champion Gage Primeaux was three back at 217.  
 
Nicholas led by one as he walked up to the final tee box.  He clinched the title with his 12th birdie of the weekend and third over the final six holes.  
 
“18 is my least favorite tee shot on the golf course,” Nicholas said. “I hit it into the left hazard a lot. I don’t really know where to aim.   
 
“I have hit it in the left and right hazards and long into the water. I am kind of gun-shy on that hole. Gage hit a great shot down the middle, and I just followed him up with the same shot. I decided to layup.   
 
“With a one-shot lead and trusting in the process, I hit a 5-iron. Unfortunately, my playing competitors both hit it in the right hazard close to the green, and I knew it was over at that moment. I hit to about 12 feet and made the putt.”  
 
Primeaux, the second-round leader, took a hit when he settled for a double-bogey on the opening hole Sunday but never trailed Nicholas by more than two strokes. He cut the deficit to one with a birdie on the par-4 No. 17, but his bogey to close the tournament opened the door for Nicholas.  
 
“The final score didn’t really reflect how tight it was,” Nicholas said. “Gage played well all day.   
 
“He struggled with some putting issues. They just didn’t go in for him. He made a few good ones, ultimately, I think it came down to the last six holes where I played solid golf.”  
 
Nicholas and Primeaux were tied at even par through four holes after Nicholas opened the round with a bogey on No. 1 and Primeaux a double before a rain and lightning delay. That turned into a short College World Series watch party in the maintenance shed by No. 8 before play resumed on a soaked course.  
 
“We had a really funny start yesterday,” Nicholas said. “By the fourth hole, we were hitting our approach shots into the green and two storms connected.   
 
“It was wild with lightning. We ran to the maintenance shed on No. 8, and there were a few carts in there, and more started piling in, and we basically had an LSU watch party.  
 
“Our golf cart died, so we had to switch out golf carts. We had casual water, and it was one thing after another for about an hour. It was very difficult to get into the round. I just tried to stay loose.”  
 
Garrett Trahan briefly held the top spot with a birdie to open the final round but carded back-to-back bogeys on the next two holes.  Trahan finished in a tie for third place with Landen East at 5-over, 221. Blake DeReese and Charles Spence shared fifth place at 224. 

46th annual Lake Charles City Championship 

At Mallard Golf Club 

Championship Fight   

Finals scores 

Matt Nicholas 69-74-71—214   

Gage Primeaux 73-69-75—217   

Landen East 74-73-74—221   

Garrett Trahan 73-71-77—221   

Blake DeReese 76-73-75—224   

Charles Spence 72-74-78—224   

Jacob Lejeune 73-75-77—225   

John Morrissey 73-75-79—227   

Kye Hanks 74-74-80—228   

 

President’s Flight   

Zachary Robertson 75-78-74—227   

Thad Gaspard 78-74-76—228  

Billy Gabbert 78-78-72—228    

Cameron Langley 74-79-76—229   

Collin Jones 76-78-75—229   

Harry Shaheen 80-81-79—240   

Blake Marceaux 81-76-88—245   

Alex Augustine 82-80-84—246   

Christian McCleon 81-86-81—248  

Chris Hood 80-80-WD   

Jacobo Santacoloma WD   

 

First flight   

Kane Hanks 72-81—153   

Cody Small 73-80—153   

Paul Hensley 73-76—149   

Corey Theriot 74-74—148 

David Martin 76-75—151   

Cristian Gette 77-76—153   

Cody Lewis 78-86—164   

Tyler Istre 80-82—162   

Dustin Bertrand 81-74—155 

Cody Stroud 82-76—158   

Kolby Trosclair 84-79—163   

 

Second Flight   

Grant LaRocca 73-76—149   

Patrick Osborne 76-81—157   

Cole Bergeron 80-80—160  

Jaxson Caldwell 77-84—161   

Chance Curlee 79-82—161   

Josh Trucke 85-77—162   

Evan Comeaux 81-82—163   

Jason Katchur 82-86—168   

Austin Creel 85-88—173   

Garrison Connell 90-93—183   

Noah Hinton 84-WD   

Dustin Ratliff 87-WD   

 

Third Flight   

Bill Hamrick 77-79—156   

James Karam 78-84—163   

Travis Furs 83-82—165   

Mark Ledoux 84-84—168  

Zachary Nicholas 86-87—173    

Samuel Lepage 86-91—177   

Matt Stewart 95-84—179   

Brandon Nowlin 90-90—180   

Kolby Delino 102-84—186 

Dustin Perron 96-102—198   

Cory Breaux 87-WD   

 

Fourth Flight   

Marshall Alexander 84-82—166   

Andrew Hebert 85-90—175   

Wesley Littleton 85-92—177   

Drew Beard 95-84—179   

Blake Reynolds 93-87—180   

Sam Wade 96-85—181   

Anthony Hampton 96-89—185  

Trey Quinn 102-84—186   

Jason James 98-91—189   

George Wilkerson 99-92—191   

Ryan Benoit 96-96—192   

 

Fifth Flight   

David Poole 91-84—175   

Cody Oliver 88-94—182   

Trent Manuel 95-92—187   

Jeff Spears 96-99—195   

Derrick Fendley 107-95—202   

Gabriel LaLand 112-91—203   

Chase Parmentier 110-114—224   

Ryan Ardoin 88-WD   

 

Senior A   

Bryron Martin 73-73—146  

Doug Quienalty 76-71—147   

Charles Manuel 74-77—151   

Brian LaRocca 76-76—152   

Donnie Abshir 79-74—153   

David Huber 82-76—158   

Troy Higgonbotham 84-83—167   

Kevin Primeaux 88-80—168   

Walt Dulany 88-83—171   

 

Senior B   

Mike Beglis 80-80—160   

Jonathan Courville 84-84—168   

Joseph Bourgeois 86-83—169   

Doyle Carter 81-89—170 

Mike Farley 85-89—174     

Kevin Snyder 87-91—178   

Carl Cole 93-85—178 

Billy Creel 83-96—179   

Ricky Menard 92-89—181   

 

Senior C 

Chad Langley 81-85—166 

Joseph Adaway 80-93—173 

Chris Fontenot 89-90—179 

Scott Landreneau 91-91—182 

Todd Fontenot 92-96—188 

Mike Holland 94-95—189 

Trent Trahan 91-100—191 

Robert Cameron 96-99—195 

Brent Soileau 91-106—197 

Greg Comeaux 113-99—197 

Barry Hood NS-89   

 

Super Senior A   

Sid Bradley 76-78—154   

Charlie Buller 80-75—155   

Pap Williams 84-82—166   

Marcus Leonard 89-77—166   

Kurt  Hamilton 84-84—168   

Lloyd Guillory 84-91—175   

Wendell Christian 86-89—175   

William Wiese 95-80—175   

 

Super Senior B   

Kevin Broussard 83-80—163   

Karl Bertrand 90-82—172   

Val East 86-87—173   

Gene Loar 88-91—179   

Michael Carter 91-88—179   

Lindsay Barnes 99-89—188   

Samuel Baynes 100-94—194   

Sam Marsigia 97-101—198   

Ricky Anderson 106-99—205 

Michael Rousseau 91-NS   

Barry Hood 92-NS