Golf: Chip Shots – Cajuns Wrap for Fall and Bass Open Wrap

Dan McDonald, Daily Advertiser, Nov. 6, 2013

Chip Shots
CAJUNS WRAP FOR FALL: Led by another strong performance by freshman Fernando Cruz Valle, UL’s golf team had its third top-four finish in four fall tournaments Monday and Tuesday at the Arkansas State Fall Beach Classic played at Peninsula Golf Club in Gulf Shores, Ala.
Cruz Valle had the low round of the day Tuesday with a three-under 69 to finish at four-under 212 for the tournament, finishing as individual runner-up behind only the six-under score of West Florida’s Esteban Castro. It was the third top-five finish in four fall events for the freshman from The Woodlands, Texas, after a tie for third at the David Toms Intercollegiate and a tie for fifth at the season-opening Sam Hall Intercollegiate.
The Cajuns carded 297-286-297–880 in finishing fourth. West Florida won the event at 868, with UL Monroe and Memphis finishing second and third, four and two strokes ahead of UL respectively with Arkansas State fifth at 883.
Sophomore Thomas Strandemo was UL’s second finisher at six-over 222, tying for 18th for his highest finish of the fall, while Christian Verrougstraete had a third straight top-25 at 224 for a tie for 24th.
UL opens its spring season Feb. 10-11 in the Oak Hill Invitational in San Antonio, Texas.
 
BASS OPEN WRAP: The annual Bill Bass Open, UL’s Homecoming tournament that raises funds for the Cajun golf team and the Bill Bass Scholarship Fund, had its largest turnout in history last Friday with 145 players taking part in the two sessions. For the first time, the tournament featured both morning and afternoon shotgun starts in order to accommodate the numbers of players in the four-person scramble event.
The team of Nick LaFleur, Chris Meche, Sidney Stoute and Matt Musso representing Cypress Bayou Casino posted a 48.4 handicap-adjusted score to take top honors and win autographed game-worn UL football jerseys. Other top finishers were the team of Mike Harson, Kenny Wildbur, Bill Land and Page Breaux in second place, Pat Sheffield, Curt Todd, Chad Soileau and Tom Poehler in third place and Nick Molaison, Mark Amy, Brett Rhymes and Gordy Doerle in fourth place.
Breaux also won closest to the hole honors on the third hole at Les Vieux Chenes while Ryan Pierret on No. 18 and Raul Viera on No. 5 were the long-drive winners. Jeff Lenox won the putting contest and the Cleveland Ragin’ Cajun wedge donated by Golfballs.com.
More than $7,000 was raised through the tournament to assist the Cajun program and the scholarship fund. Next year’s 2014 tournament will be scheduled on the Friday before UL’s annual Homecoming football game, with that date to be determined early next spring.