PRESS RELEASE Contact: Carr McCalla
Louisiana Golf Association
(www.lgagolf.org)
E-mail address:
lgagolf@lgagolf.org
For Release: Upon Receipt
TRIO TIED FOR LEAD AFTER FIRST ROUND AT 2010 LOUISIANA GOLF ASSOCIATION
JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
June 30, 2010 -- Houma, LA -- Taylor Billings of Kenner, Hayden Bigby of
Bossier City, and Grady Brame, Jr., of Hammond all shot rounds of
one-under par 71 on Wednesday to share the lead after first round play in
the 53rd Louisiana Golf Association Junior Amateur Championship.
Billings, who started off #1 and played just in front of Bigby, bogeyed
the par five third hole but got that shot back quickly with a birdie on
#5, parring in on the front to turn at even par 36. Another bogey on the
long par five 11th (he played the four par fives in two-over par for the
day) set the stage for a birdie-birdie finish on #17 and #18 to card his
71.
.
Bigby had a bit more of a roller coaster round with birdies on #2 and #6
sandwiched around a bogey on #4 to turn in one-under 35. A double bogey
six on the tenth hole was offset by birdies on #13 and #16. He finished
with two pars for his 71.
Brame, who started his round on #10, played his first nine holes in
3-under par 33, with birdies on #11, #17, and #18, and the rest pars. He
double bogeyed #1 after the turn, then finished up with a birdie on #5, a
bogey on #7, parring in to also post 71.
Jess Savoie of LaRose is alone in fourth at even par 72 and would have
been on top of the leaderboard were it not for a triple bogey eight on the
short par five 16th hole. He had birdies on #5, #7, #12, and #15, his lone
bogey of the day coming on #9.
Others finishing within four shots of the lead after Day One include:
Jordan Karam of Lake Charles and Adam Galliano of Baton Rouge, tied for
fifth at one-over 73, Matt Rushing of Greenwood and Chuck Spears of
Pineville, tied for seventh at two-over 74, and Lewis Peters of Baton
Rouge, alone in ninth place at three-over 75.
Thursday’s play will again begin at 7:30 a.m. off both #1 and #10, with
the Overall Championship participants all going off in the morning. The
leaders will go off the first hole at 8:24 a.m. Age-Group participants
will complete play on Thursday with awards being presented upon completion
of play Thursday afternoon.
This year’s Championship is being played at Ellendale Country Club in
Houma. The course has been inundated over the last couple of weeks with
precipitation, including almost four inches of rain since Monday night.
Wednesday’s play was conducted under intermittent showers but play never
had to be suspended for weather. Conditions required lift, clean, and
re-place rules for this field of the best Junior players in Louisiana. The
Ellendale CC course is playing to a par of 72 at approximately 6,600 yards
for the Championship, much longer than it measures due to the wet
conditions. This year’s competitors are hoping to join Hal Sutton, David
Toms, and Willie Wood as Champions of this event.
As mentioned, in addition to the Overall Junior Amateur Championship, the
LGA also conducts Age-Group Championships for Ages 10-12, 13, 14, and
15-17.
