VC's Nick Hollier placed fourth in the La. Champions golf tournament this week.
Richard posted a 6-under par 65 to set the invitational low-round record and win the state’s official “all-star” event for prep golf, while Nguyen shot a 2-under 33 on the back nine to claim the title with a tournament-record score of 73.
The limited-field event was open only to the top finishers from the LHSAA’s state championship events held last week (boys) and three weeks ago (girls). The top five finishers in each of the six boys classifications and the top three finishers in the LHSAA’s two girls classifications were eligible to participate.
The course was set up at collegiate levels for the tournament, with the boys playing the par-71 Tamahka layout at approximately 6,800 yards and the girls at nearly 5,600 yards – both significantly longer than the average prep layout.
However, the longer distance didn’t seem to be a problem for Richard, who made four straight birdies on the front nine and made the turn with a two-stroke lead over Alexandria Senior High’s Chuck Spears.
“I got off to a good start with four birdies in a row,” said Richard, who tied for sixth place in last year’s event. “And I was just really consistent after that. I was just hitting the ball really good and just really wasn’t making a lot of mistakes.”
Richard, the Division III state champion, pulled away from the field early on the back nine when he birdied four the first five holes.
“That just really set the tone for the rest of the round,” said Richard.
Richard, who was teamed in the final pairing with Spears (Division II champion) and Zachary’s Drew Patin (Division I champion) was virtually flawless on the day with his only setback being a bogey on hole No. 17
“There was a lot of pressure playing with those guys,” said Richard. “They are two really good golfers and I think that really bought out the best in me.”
Spears struggled on the back nine and shot a 41 to finish the round in seventh place with a total of 75.
Barbe’s Shane Fontenot was the early leader in the clubhouse after firing a round of 70 earlier in the day. His lead stood until the final pairing closed out the tournament.
“I had my hopes up,” said Fontenot, who finished second behind Richard. “I knew I was right there in the mix because no one else was shooting real low. But I heard a little while later that someone was six or seven-under and I knew it would be tough for him to not shoot below 70.”
Fontenot got off to a rocky start with a four-over par 40 on the first nine holes but the junior turned it around on the backside and fired a 33 to finish the event.
“I putted better on the back nine,” said Fontenot. “And I hit a bunch of better shots on the back. That started to get it going and everything kind of came together and I put up a good number there at the end.”
On the girls’ side, Nguyen, playing in the first pairing of the morning with Dominican’s Elizabeth Borda, struggled early in her round.
“I was just kind of hanging in there at first,” said Nguyen, a Southern Mississippi signee. “But I was having trouble with pulling my shots. I was doing fine until the last three holes of the front nine. I started bogeying and I was chipping and two-putting which killed me.”
The backside for Nguyen was a different story.
The Division I state runnerup hit every green in regulation on the back nine and pulled off an eagle on hole No. 13 that really got her going.
“I went to the back nine not thinking about anything and just playing my game,” said Nguyen. “And that green on 13 was crazy. They put it (pin) on a really crazy spot so if you hit behind the hole, you were going up and back to it. It was really crazy. All I had to do was chip on so I was trying to do a bump-and-run.”
Nguyen’s total of 73 is the lowest round shot in the girls’ portion of the invitational since it originated 10 years ago.
McGehee eighth grader Angelica Harris finished in the second place, seven strokes behind Nguyen with an 80. Harris actually led the field with a 36 on the front side but shot a 44 on the final nine holes.
“I really putting well on the frontside and that was the difference,” said Harris, the state runnerup in Division II. “What got me on the backside was my drives were going straight but I wasn’t hitting any greens.”
Mandeville’s Elise Bradley finished third in the girls’ division with an 81 and Ouachita’s Lana Hodge was fourth with an 84.
The Louisiana Champions, which is sanctioned by the LHSAA as its official “all-star” event for prep golf, awarded a total of $2,350 in scholarships to the top finishers, including a $750 scholarship to both the boys and girls champions.
La. Champions Golf Tournament
FINAL RESULTS
Girls Division
Jennifer Nguyen, Salmen - 40-33-73
Angelica Harris, McGehee - 36-44-80
Elise Bradley, Manderville - 41-41-81
Lana Hodge, Ouachita Ch. - 43-41-84
Elizabeth Borda
Boys Division
Eric Richard, Loyola Prep - 32-33-65
Shane Fontenot, Barbe - 37-33-70
Taylor Billings, Jesuit - 37-34-71
Nick Hollier, VC - 35-37-72
Peyton McCulloch, Zachary -36-37-73
Ryan Desormeaux, Comeaux-37-37-74
Chuck Spears, Alexandria - 34-41-75
Connor Cavin, Dunham - 40-38-78
Ben Como, ESA - 40-39-79
Kyle Camp, Notre Dame - 38-42-80
Matt Miller, Arch. Shaw - 39-41-80
Kirk Thomas, Loyola Prep - 41-39-80
Sean Flynn, Riverside - 43-38-81
Blake Caldwell, Poncha. - 41-41-82
Josh Fullilove, S. Lafourche - 44-38-82
Grant Welch, Runnels - 39-44-83
Ryan Crissman, Loyola Pr. - 41-42-83
Drew Patin, Zachary - 41-42-83
Jordan Cole, Cedar Creek - 46-38-84
Daniel Deloach, Alexandria - 43-42-85
Jes Pender, Weston - 43-42-85
Jack Tolson, Westminster - 40-45-85
Derick Pallai, Pat. Taylor - 46-48-89
Joe Haydell, Vandebilt - 39-WD
Hunter Boyett, Weston - WD
Sam Burns, Calvary - WD
Ross Davis, Episcopal - WD
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