Lake Charles, Louisiana – August 15, 2021
Nobody has dominated Louisiana amateur golf more in the last decade than Patrick Christovich of New Orleans. Christovich added another title to his name on Sunday at Contraband Bayou Golf Club, winning the 29th Louisiana Mid-Amateur Championship by three strokes after shooting rounds of 65-71-67 to finish at ten-under par 203 for the Championship. This is Christovich’s fifth LGA Mid-Amateur Championship, having previously won the event in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. He also finished runner-up three times from 2015-2017. The 203 total is tied for the lowest score in Championship history, a record set by Christovich at Southern Trace Country Club in 2010, and it is the record low 54-hole score at a par 71 golf course. Combined with his 2012 Louisiana Amateur Championship, Christovich now becomes the third most decorated LGA amateur champion of all-time dating back to 1920. Only Tommy Brennan of Covington and the late Jimmy McGonagill of Shreveport have more LGA Championships to their name. Christovich jumped 10 spots to the number one position in the Louisiana Amateur Player of the Year race following this victory. Hank Shaheen of Dequincy fired the low round of the Championship on Sunday, a seven-under par 64, to finish runner-up at 206.
Christovich started the day tied for second at 6-under par with 2009 LGA Mid-Amateur Champion Matt Nicholas of Lake Charles, and they and one shot back of the other player in their final pairing group, 36-hole leader Andrew Noto of Metairie. Christovich made a birdie at the par 5 1st hole to get into a tie for the lead after Noto and Nicholas both made a par. Noto’s tee shot at the par 4 2nd hole landed out of bounds, and he would go on to make a double bogey. Christovich made a par, while Nicholas made a birdie taking a share of the lead. Christovich and Nicholas would battle back and forth the rest of the afternoon, while Shaheen was making his run up the leaderboard six groups ahead of them. Christovich made a birdie on the par 4 3rd hole to take sole possession of the lead. He and Nicholas made par on the next five holes and then they each birdied the par 5 9th hole, and Christovich retained his one-shot lead at the turn.
Christovich birdied the par 4 10th hole and Nicholas birdied the par 4 12th hole. Christovich made his only bogey of the day at the par 3 13th hole, and Nicholas made a par, so they were tied for the lead at nine-under par when they stepped on the 14th tee. This proved to be the monumental momentum shift. Christovich caught a break when his drive deflected off a tree and safely into the rough. He would go on to make birdie after hitting the flagstick with his approach shot. Nicholas three-putted for bogey, and Christovich took a two-shot lead. Christovich coasted home with four consecutive pars to shoot 67. Shaheen’s final round 64 was tied for the lowest final round in championship history. Rounding out the top 10 are:
T3. Todd McPherson – New Orleans 207
T3. Greg Berthelot – Baton Rouge 207
T3. Mike Stackus – Zachary 207
T3. Matt Nicholas – Lake Charles 207
- Jonathan Jeter – New Orleans 209
- Channing Kile – Westlake 210
T9. Eric Gibbs – Ruston 211
T9. Andrew Noto – Metairie 211
The Tom Fazio designed Contraband Bayou course played to a par 71 at approximately 6,823 yards on Sunday and the course drew rave reviews from this field of the best amateur golfers in Louisiana over the age of 25. The course received over three inches of rain overnight between the second and third rounds, but the maintenance staff led by superintendent Kevin Belle worked tirelessly to get the course in championship condition. This was the first time that Contraband Bayou hosted the Louisiana Mid-Amateur Championship in its history, and it will also host the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship Qualifier on Monday.
The low 30 scorers are exempt from qualifying for next year’s championship and the top 20 players earned prizes in the form of gift certificates redeemable at the L’Auberge Casino Resort.
Click here for final results.