Shreveport golfers dominate
Halloween Classic
by Ian Auzenne
Having a home-field advantage is one
of the biggest benefits an athlete can have
during a competition.
The Shreveport golfers playing on the
Mizuno Louisiana USSSA Tour took full
advantage of playing in their hometown and
at their home course, dominating the field
at the Mizuno USSSA Halloween Classic at
Southern Trace Country Club. Knowledge
of the Southern Trace course was key this
weekend, as all of the champions in the
boys’ divisions are members of the club.
Payne Johnson started and ended his
second round with birdies en route to
winning the Boys’ 15-18 division title.
Johnson shot eight birdies overall in the
tournament, finishing with a score of 148.
Fellow Shreveport resident Drew Wayda
finished in a distant second place in the
division, shooting 159. Zachary Bollinger,
of Alexandra, took third place by shooting
165.
August Drummond shot one of the best
rounds of his young career on Sunday. He
picked up three consecutive birdies on the
12
seventh, eighth and ninth holes to make the
turn at -1. He eventually finished the round
at even par, coasting to victory in the Boys
12-14 division with a total of 153. Bolton
Stegall, of Ruston, shot 184 to take second
place. Peyton Johnson, of Shreveport,
claimed third place by shooting 185.
Duke Bowen finished the first round with
a four-stroke lead and never looked back,
winning the Boys 9-11 title by shooting
82 in the two-day, 18-hole event. Bennett
Wicker finished second place, shooting 90.
An international member of the Louisiana
Tour, Gabriel Wartelle, of Masclaux, France,
took third-place honors with a score of 97.
Maxwell McDonald finished fourth with a
score of 121. McDonald was the only player
in the group to improve upon his first day
score, shaving off seven strokes in the second
round.
Gillian Cole took home the title in the
Girls 15-18 division by shooting 174.
Kaitlyn Montoya won the Girls 12-14
bracket by shooting 211.
“Southern Trace did a phenomenal job
in hosting the tournament, and head pro
Nathan Barrow went above and beyond to
make sure the tournament went off without
a hitch,” USSSA executive vice president
Robert Boudreaux said. “We want to thank
and recognize Southern Trace and Nathan
for the excellent work they did to help us put
on the tournament.”
In keeping with the Halloween theme,
Kaitlyn Montoya and Stokes Bylsma were
awarded prizes for their Halloween themed
golf attire on the weekend.
The next stop on the Mizuno Louisiana
USSSA Junior Golf Tour is Alexandria’s
Oak Wing Golf Club for the seventhannual Gobbler Classic. That tournament
is set for the weekend after Thanksgiving—
November 26-27. The deadline to register is
November 23. For more information, email
[email protected] or visit usssa.
com.