“I didn’t change my game plan. I tried to stay aggressive the
whole time.”
– Nick Daniel
For a full recap of Daniel’s
entire Championship, click
here. Course statistics can be
found here.
Daniel’s win puts him in
the impressive company of
former LGA Junior Amateur
Champions, including PGA
Tour winners Hal Sutton, Willie
Wood, David Toms, Brian
Bateman, and current PGA
Tour player Andrew Loupe.
Daniel received the “Past
Champions’ Award” in the
form of a $400 gift certificate
that may be utilized in the Golf
Shop at Links on the Bayou.
He will have his name engraved
on a beautiful plaque that
honors each of the past LGA
Junior Amateur Champions
dating back to 1958, and it
will be displayed at his home
club, Money Hill G & CC in
Abita Springs, until the 2017
Championship.
Daniel’s victory gives him
an automatic invitation to play
in the 2016 Junior River Cup
Matches against Mississippi in
October. Daniel also received
a brand new Titleist golf
bag embroidered with the
LGA logo and “2016 LGA
Junior Amateur Champion”
signifying his victory, and he
earned full exempt status with
the American Junior Golf
Association (AJGA).
Daniel will be exempt
from qualifying for the LGA
Amateur Championship for the
next three years. Other AJGA
Performance Based Entry stars
were awarded as follows: Top 5
(12 Performance Stars), Top 10
(8 Stars), Top 15 (4 Stars).
Rounding out the top 5
are: 2. Bennett (73/210), T3.
Zachary Barrios of Slidell
(73/211), T3. Parker Johnson
of Baton Rouge (67/211), T5.
Nicholas Arcement of Mathews
(70/212), T5. Nolan Lambert
of Gretna (71/212).
There were a total of 10
scores under par on Friday.
Other under par scores not
mentioned above were: Eric
Brown of Lake Charles
(68/217), Reed Sikes of
Keithville (70/220), Mikey
Landry of LaPlace (71/213),
Raymond Poche of Covington
(71/213), Grayson Glorioso
(71/222), and Cole Kendrick
of Natchez (71/227).
The Overall Championship
was divided into three flights
based off 36 hole total score for
play on Friday. Reed Sikes won
the first flight after shooting the
score mentioned above.
Jake Kuebel of Metairie
won the second flight. Kuebel
and Stephen Robinson of
Mandeville
both
finished
at 234, but Kuebel won the
scorecard playoff.
The LGA’s tiebreaker policy
for its Junior Amateur is that in
the event of a tie for the overall
championship and/or any agegroup championship(s), there
shall be a sudden death playoff
beginning on a hole determined
by
the
Championship
Committee and continuing in
an order of holes as determined
by the Committee.
All other ties, which
determine placing, prizes, or
recognition, will be decided by
USGA method (i.e., last 9 holes
played, last 6 holes played, last
3 holes played, last hole played).
Kuebel shot a 37 on his back
nine and Robinson shot a 38,
so Kuebel won the second flight
first place crystal prize.
Temperatures were in the
mid-90s again on Friday. High
humidity levels resulted in
afternoon heat index values of
105 to 111 degrees.
Wind was not as much a
factor on Friday as it was in the
first two rounds. The lack of
wind made scoring conditions
easier, but it also increased the
demand of the players’ ability
to stay hydrated and focused
because they had become
accustomed to playing in the
wind.
This marked the third time
that Links on the Bayou has
hosted LGA Junior Amateur
Championship in its short
history. It was also the host
venue for this event in 2012
and 2014.
Links on the Bayou was
rated the best municipal golf
course in Louisiana in 2009
by Golf Digest, and it was in
superb condition. The greens
were firm, fast and rolling
true, and the golf course was
well manicured throughout. It
provided a stern test for the top
junior golfers in the state.
The Links on the Bayou
course played to a par of 72 at
approximately 6,