Local golf: Noel, Davis win Cajun Four-Ball

Dan McDonald • Local golf columnist • June 17, 2009

Marc Noel’s tie for fourth in last week’s State Amateur came only one week after he and John Davis teamed to shoot 66-65-131 and win the 39th renewal of the Cajun Invitational Four-Ball at Acadian Hills. A field of 124 players took part in what is annually one of the most competitive team events in the region and this year awarded a total of $15,750 in total prize money.

Davis and Noel finished one stroke ahead of the team of Todd Weber and Bill Land, who went 67-65-132 in a down-to-the-wire battle in the championship flight. Weber himself was coming off a strong performance in another historic area event, winning the 41st annual James "Baba" Lastrape tournament over the Memorial Day weekend.

The win was the fifth for Davis as part of a team in one of the area’s longest-running events, one that has been won by players such as Larry Aillet, Buddy Short, Greg Sonnier, Robert Shelton, Gayle Sanchez, Scott Haynie, Neal Hensarling, Jim Fatheree, Wayne Patin, George Carroll and both Land and Weber.

Brett Ashmore and Joe Myhand finished third in the championship flight at 135, tying with Lawrence David and Jamie Hagan and winning a scorecard playoff. Other flight winners included Ted Weber and Jody Lormand (63-70-133) in the first flight, Jimmy and Jacques Poirier (68-70-138) in the second flight, Ricky Norwood and Glen Priola (65-74-139) in the third flight, and Tim Johnson and Jim Pilgreen (77-73-150) in the fourth flight.

"We had a competitive field once again," said Acadian Hills Men’s Golf Association president John Helwig. "It’s always a pleasure for us to host one of the traditional golf events here in Acadiana."

ARROWHEAD UPDATE: Local juniors were prominent on the leader board at the Arrowhead Junior Golf Tour’s Purple & Gold Classic held recently at LSU’s University Club in Baton Rouge. The event was one of the AJGT’s championship events and awarded triple points on the tour’s season-long points standings.

Arnaudville’s Kelsey Angelle finished second at 72-70-142 in the Boys Overall division, his two-under score only one shot back of winner Brandt Garon of Baton Rouge in a 56-player field. Angelle shot two-under on the front nine on both days of the event.

Eustis Corrigan III of Lafayette shot 72-73-145 and tied for fifth and Austin Richard of Lafayette carded back-to-back 76 to tie for 10th, while Cody Weber of Carencro (91-89-180) finished 10th in the boys age 12-14 division.

Angelle currently stands fourth on the boys 15-19 season-long points list with several tournaments still to be played. The girls 15-19 points race is dominated by Crowley’s Ali Lucas and Lafayette’s Anna Heim, who stand one-two with 17,400 and 17,300 points respectively and are both approximately 6,000 points ahead of their nearest competitors.

The Arrowhead Tour comes to Lafayette next week for The AJGT Wetlands Junior Classic scheduled June 27-28 at The Wetlands. It’s the first of two local stops this year for that Tour, which will also stage the Farm d’Allie Junior Classic Nov. 21-22. Information and entry forms are available online at www.arrowheadjgt.com or at 850-650-6331 with entries for the Wetlands event due by Saturday.

MORE JUNIORS: Lafayette’s Eustis Corrigan followed that success at the Purple & Gold with a strong showing against a multi-state field in last week’s Lakewood Junior Classic at the Lakewood Golf Club in Point Clear, Ala.

Corrigan tied for second with a 71-73-144 score, only one stroke behind winner Michael Ulmer of nearby Fairhope, Ala. (73-70-143) in the overall male division. Corrigan, who just completed his junior season at St. Thomas More, won a scorecard playoff with Kyle Thommesen of Auburn, Ala., for second place.

The tournament was one of 38 tournaments on this year’s Southeastern Junior Golf Tour, which is in its 16th season and conducts events in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi and Tennessee. The group has over 1,000 junior members this year.

HALL OF FAME: Sports fans can still get last-minute entry spots into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame’s Celebrity Pro-Am Scramble, with some of the state’s all-time great athletes and athletic figures scheduled to play on Friday, June 26, at Oak Wing in Alexandria.

The scramble tournament is part of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Weekend where Hal Sutton, Michael Brooks, Marshall Faulk, Sonja Hogg, Willie Roaf, Freddie Spencer, Carrice Baker and Marty Broussard will be inducted into the state’s sports shrine in Natchitoches.

The living members of the induction class will take part in the golf outing.

Other Hall of Fame members who annually participate include Billy Joe Dupree, Hollis Conway, Leon Barmore, Tommy Henry, Frank Lewis, Red Franklin, Billy Hardin, Harold Porter, Frank Brian, Bo Lamar, Leonard Marshall, Bobby Lowther, Eric Martin, Scotty Robertson and Leo Sanford among others.

Each fivesome will be paired with a celebrity captain for the scramble, and players may create their own fivesome or will be paired up with others.

Entry fee is $150 per player including two meals, golf shirt and hat, and prizes will go to the top four teams.

The tournament has sold out each of the last three years. Entry information is available by calling the Hall of Fame office at (318) 238-4255, and entry deadline is Monday or until a 24-team field is filled.

MIKE OPEN: The 14th annual Mike Open, presented by district attorney Mike Harson, is set for Monday-Tuesday, July 13-14, at The Wetlands. The Mike Open raises funds for local charities and is one of the area’s largest tournaments, with shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day and nearly 500 total golfers taking part.

Entry fee is $125 for the four-person scramble including cart, food and drinks, and sponsorships are also available from $125 to $1,500. Deadline for registration is Friday, July 10, but preferred time slots usually fill well in advance. Entry forms are available at all local courses or from Ken Franques at 207-4288 or kfranq@cox.net.

SKINS AT THE FARM: The Farm d’Allie has begun offering a Monday afternoon "skins" game that general manager Mark Bradshaw said will be open to all.

"We want to invite all the local pros and players whose regular courses are closed on Monday," he said. "It’s good for businessmen because of the late start, and it’s an opportunity for a regular Monday game."

The 3 p.m. shotgun has a $30 cart and green fee for non-members, with $20 for close-ups and "skins." Information and sign-up is available at 886-2227 ext. 1.

ABBEVILLE LADIES: The Abbeville Country Club will hold its annual Ladies Invitational tomorrow. The two-lady scramble has an 8 a.m. shotgun start, and the $75 entry fee includes breakfast, a lunch buffet, cart and range balls. Entry deadline has passed, but possible late entries and other information is available from the pro shop at 893-5203.

MEMBER-MEMBER: Spanish Trail members can start pairing up for the 15th annual Member-Member Tournament scheduled next Saturday-Sunday, June 27-28, at 8 a.m. each day. Two-person teams will play scramble on Saturday and best-ball on Sunday with full handicaps used and teams flighted by total handicap.

Entry fee is $50 with gross and net prizes awarded and entry deadline of June 25. A ladies flight will also be offered with sufficient entries. Information is available in the pro shop at 364-2263.

ACES: Troy Hardy of Cecilia used a 9-iron and a Titleist Pro V1 ball to hole out on the 140-yard 13th hole at Acadian Hills last Tuesday in a gathering of some of Acadiana’s best-known horse-racing figures. Hardy’s ace was witnessed by Emily Hardy, Mark Guidry, Shane Sellers, Kerwin Clark and Wesley Landry.

Merlen Boudreaux of Youngsville used a 7-iron and a Bridgestone ball for a hole-in-one on the 142-yard sixth hole at Hebert Municipal last Wednesday. Rodney Whitley, Frank West, John Simon and Keith Simon were witnesses.

Vincent Fontenot of Opelousas had his first-ever hole-in-one last Friday, using a wedge and a Pinnacle ball to ace the 110-yard fourth hole at The Wetlands. Michael Beaugh, Milburn Ardoin and Dennis Lavergne witnessed the shot.

Donna Linn of Gardner came south Monday and used the occasion to record a hole-in-one on the 98-yard 16th hole at The Wetlands. Her pitching wedge ace was witnessed by Caryn Holt and Bob Chauvin.

(Dan McDonald’s local golf column appears each Wednesday. Clubs, courses and individuals wishing to submit items may e-mail to danmcdonald@cox.net or fax to (337) 857-8763. Please include a return phone number.)