Lafayette, LA | October 3rd, 2022
The Louisiana Junior Golf Tour is pleased to award its 2023 Boys’ Player of the Year to Kade Bryant of Benton, 2023 Girls’ Player of the Year to Maci Williams of Brusly, and the 2023 Boys’ 11-13 Player of the Year to Parker Greene of Mandeville.
Williams wins her first POY award and becomes the youngest player to ever do so at the impressive age of 13. The Girls’ POY race was an interesting one to watch as it came down to the results of the Tour Championship at Links on the Bayou. Vivian Volion of Springfield made a strong push by winning the Tour Championship securing herself 200 points, but with Williams’ solid 3rd place finish, she was able hold on to the POY honors, winning by a total of 30 points over Volion. Williams had a spectacular season as she totaled 3 wins including the Girls’ Louisiana Junior Amateur. She also was the champion of the Sam Burns Junior Four-Ball with the help of her partner, Evelynn Artieta, who finished 3rd in the POY standings. Williams also won at her home club in the LJGT at U-Club in June in dominating fashion and competed for Team Louisiana in their victory in the Junior River Cup. The LJGT is proud to honor her with the Louisiana Girls’ Junior Player of the Year. Williams has a bright future in golf and this is just the beginning of her legacy in Louisiana junior golf.
Kade Bryant is your 2023 Louisiana Boys’ Player of the Year. The Benton native stormed from behind using a stellar performance and victory in the LJGT Tour Championship to obtain his first POY honors. Bryant’s path to being POY was nothing short of dramatic. There were a handful of players worthy of POY honors, but it would all come down to the results of the Tour Championship. Coming into the Tour Championship, Bryant was T-17th needing a huge performance and finish to the season to climb his way to the top of the POY standings, and did he ever. Coming into the 18th and final hole in the Tour Championship at Links on the Bayou, Bryant was in a three-way tie at three-under with current high-school teammate Cason Toms and also Will Porter of Monroe. The last hole at Links on the Bayou carried major weight, not only to decide who would win the Tour Championship, but who would also be crowned Player of the Year as Toms and Porter were both also knocking on the door. Bryant would step up to the challenge and hit a walk off hole-in-one to take both honors, yes, you read that correctly. The par three 18th hole at Links on the Bayou was playing a lengthy 183 yards and Bryant used a 6-iron for the ace. The hole-in-one was incredibly Bryant’s first and what a time to do it, as it will go down as one of the greatest shots and dramatic finishes in Louisiana junior golf history.
Bryant had a solid season finishing T-3rd in the LJGT at U-Club, a top 10 finish in the David Toms Junior Championship, and T-16th in the LJGT at The Wetlands. Bryant is currently a junior at Benton High School and has many more opportunities to build upon after his impressive 2023 campaign.
Parker Greene of Mandeville is your 11-13 Boys’ Player of the Year. Similar to Maci Williams and Kade Bryant, this is also Parker’s first POY honor. Greene was dominant all year on the Louisiana Junior Golf Tour as he finished either 1st or 2nd in every individual stroke play event this season. His wins came at the LJGT at U-Club, the LJGT at Cane Row, and he also won the 12-13 division of the Louisiana Boys’ Junior Amateur. Greene would also finish 3rd in the Sam Burns Junior Four-Ball with his partner Wayne Kabrich of Mandeville, who would go on to finish 2nd in the POY race behind Greene. Greene was not able to compete in the 11-13 boys’ division for the Tour Championship as he had already turned 14 by the tournament date, but with his dominating play in the previous tournaments throughout the season, he was able to hold on to the POY honors by 55 points. Greene is a very talented golfer and is only going to continue to improve. We look forward to watching his great play for many more years to come on the Louisiana Junior Golf Tour.
It was an outstanding 2023 season for all three of our Louisiana Junior Players of the Year and the future is bright for Maci, Kade and Parker. A big congratulations to these exceptional players!
Click here to view final LJGT Player of the Year points.
Registration for the 2024 Louisiana Junior Golf Tour Membership will open on November 1st, 2023 as well as the registration for the 2024 Sam Burns Junior Four-Ball Championship at Squire Creek Country Club (February 24-25th, 2024).