Golf: Noel top finisher at state amateur tournament

Dan McDonald • Advertiser Golf Writer • June 10, 2009

Abbeville’s Marc Noel was the top local finisher and shared a distinction over the past weekend at the Louisiana Golf Association’s 90th State Amateur Championships.

Noel, a former member of the UL squad and a former participant in the U.S. Amateur, posted consistent 70-72-73-71 scores over the English Turn course to finish at two-under 286 and tied for fourth in the state’s premier amateur golf event. Noel tied with Patrick Christovich of New Orleans for that spot.

The two were the field’s top finishers among non-currently-active collegiate golfers, as the LGA’s spotlight event again was dominated at the top of the leaderboard by members of the state college scene. LSU’s Andrew Loupe topped UNO’s Ken Looper for the title in a playoff after both carded an 11-under 277 for four rounds, and La. Tech’s Matthew Harvey was third at eight-under and the only other player within arm’s reach of the leaders.

Looper, who won two individual titles this year at UNO, carded a 66 in Friday’s second round to take the lead before Loupe caught him on Sunday and then won with an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole in extra play.

With his performance, Noel established himself as one to watch for the LGA’s number two event, the annual Mid-Amateur scheduled locally Aug. 7-9 at Oakbourne. That tournament is limited to players age 25 and over, effectively excluding the collegians.

Andrew Noto of the Ragin’ Cajun squad was the next-highest local finisher, tying for 11th at two-over 74-73-71-72-290 with former UL player Jeff Calloway, and ex-Cajun George Cestia tied for 21st at eight-over 296. Current Cajuns James Anderson and Dustin Petit tied for 31st at 300 and tied for 36th at 301 respectively and earned automatic qualification into next year’s State Amateur which goes to all players finishing in the top 40.

Both Noto and Petit were top-10 finishers in last year’s State Amateur at Gray Plantation in Lake Charles. All of the top eight finishers from the 2008 tournament were in the field again this year over the 7,050-yard par-72 English Turn layout.

Other local finishers included Kenley Jones of Avery Island and ex-St. Thomas More standout and recent UL signee Ethan Savoy, tied for 42nd at 303, and David Duhon of Lafayette tied for 48th at 306 out of the original 144-player field.

The next event on the LGA calendar is the state Junior Amateur, scheduled July 8-10 at Alexandria Country Club with entries due by June 30. The state Four-Ball Championship is a week later at TPC Louisiana prior to the Mid-Amateur, the only local event on this year’s LGA schedule. Entries for the Mid-Amateur are due June 30 and information is available online at www.lgagolf.org.